Mamata Banerjee Slams Delhi Police Over ‘Bangladeshi Language’ Remark

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused the Delhi Police of insulting the Bengali language, sparking a political controversy. The issue is connected to an official letter in which the Bengali language was referred to as the "Bangladeshi national language."

According to PTI, the letter was related to an investigation under the 'Foreigners' Act' and was addressed to the officer-in-charge of Banga Bhawan in New Delhi. Following the arrest of eight individuals, a translator for the "Bangladeshi national language" was sought in the letter.

This latest controversy unfolds against a backdrop of wider allegations concerning the treatment of Bengali speakers in Gurugram. Local police asserted their ongoing drive was to identify illegal immigrants and not to target workers from West Bengal, stating that suspects were being kept in "holding areas" pending verification.

The Bengal CM has recently announced a year-long “Bhasha Andolan” (language movement) to protest the detention of Bengali-speaking individuals in BJP-ruled states.

She pointed out that in some cases, people with valid documents like Aadhaar cards were deported to Bangladesh, with West Bengal police having to intervene to bring some of them back after verifying their Indian identity. 

Bengali as ‘Bangladeshi Language’

In a social media post, the letter was shared by Banerjee. The reference was described by her as: "Scandalous, insulting, anti-national, unconstitutional!!" 

She said that Bengali is the language of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda and that India's national anthem and national song were written in it. "the language in which crores of Indians speak and write, the language which is sanctified and recognised by the Constitution of India, is now described as a Bangladeshi language!!" Banerjee said. A call for protests was made against what was termed "the anti-Bengali Government of India."

These views were supported by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who alleged that the incident was a "calculated attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to defame Bengal, undermine our cultural identity and equate West Bengal with Bangladesh for narrow political propaganda." quoted PTI. 

A demand was made by Banerjee for "the immediate suspension of Investigating Officer Amit Dutt and a formal public apology from @DelhiPolice, @BJP4India, and the Home Ministry led by @AmitShah." He asserted that "Bangla and Bengalis are Indians" and "Bangla is our pride."

BJP’s Response

Reportedly, the terminology used by the Delhi Police was defended by the BJP.

It was argued by the party's state president, Samik Bhattacharya, that there is a difference in the dialect of the Bengali language spoken in West Bengal and Bangladesh. 

BJP also claimed that the TMC's position was rooted in defending illegal migrants. In a post by the West Bengal BJP, it was asked, "Let's get this straight for TMC, a heavily Urdu-influenced dialect spoken by illegal migrants is now the real Bengali language? Is this what TMC politics has come to defend foreign nationals while eroding Indian identity?"