West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi issue a public apology for referring to the national song’s composer, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, as “Bankim da” during his speech in Parliament.
Speaking at a political rally in Cooch Behar, Banerjee asserted that Modi’s casual reference insulted the nation’s culture, history, and freedom movement.
“Yesterday he (Modi) referred to Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay as Bankim da. As if he is just any common man. He wrote our National Song and you (Modi) didn’t even give him a minimum respect? You should apologise for this publicly. Even then you won’t be forgiven because you have insulted the nation’s culture, history and freedom movement,” Banerjee said.
The Parliament Incident and TMC’s Reaction
The controversy began during a special Lok Sabha discussion on Monday marking the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. While recounting the rise of the Swadeshi movement, PM Modi used the phrase, “This spirit created by Bankim da…”
- Correction: TMC MP Sougata Roy immediately interrupted the Prime Minister to point out that “da” (an informal Bengali term for elder brother) was not the appropriate term.
- Protest: TMC MPs staged a silent protest inside Parliament’s central hall on Tuesday in solidarity with the demand.
Attack on Central Funds and Political Claims
Banerjee intensified her attack on the central government for allegedly stopping funds to the state:
- MGNREGA Funds: She dramatically tore a piece of a document she claimed was a central government communique regarding the MGNREGA scheme, stating, “This document has no value… We don’t need your alms.”
- Karmashree Scheme: She claimed the state has compensated for the loss of central funds by spending ₹2,700 crore to support around 5.9 million people via the state-funded Karmashree scheme.
- Election Claim: Banerjee also claimed that the assembly election would be announced immediately after the final electoral rolls for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) are published in February to prevent any legal challenge to the new voters’ list.
BJP’s Counter-Attack
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back, accusing Banerjee of selective outrage. BJP IT head Amit Malviya questioned why the TMC supremo was silent on remarks allegedly made by INDI Alliance partner, DMK MP A. Raja, concerning the issue. He urged her to speak up against her alliance members to protect the “rich legacy of Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.”