I will enquire about it from our MPs. ‘Vande Mataram’ is our national song. This is our slogan also.
Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday vehemently protested curbs on ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ slogans at the winter session of the Parliament. The Trinamul Congress supremo also tore into the BJP, wondering whether the move was aimed at abolishing the state's identity.
Her questions, after paying tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar’s statue in the city for the Constitution Day celebration, relate to two icons of Bengal, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, who coined the respective slogans for the country's freedom struggle.
Ms Banerjee said, “I saw in a newspaper that ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ slogans can not be given in the Parliament. I do not know if this is true or not. I will enquire about it from our MPs. ‘Vande Mataram’ is our national song. This is our slogan also. Those who participated in the freedom movement used to swear by it.”
Lashing out at the BJP, the CM observed, “How can they forget it? Does it mean they want to destroy Bengal’s identity? Bengal is not out of India. We are very much a part and parcel of India. We are always proud to state that Bengal fights for democracy, secularism and unity in diversity of the country.”
She then claimed, “But we are saddened to see democratic rights being taken away and division happening everywhere on religious grounds. We did not get freedom because of the mercy of those in power now. We got it because of the freedom fighters, 90% of whom were Bengalis. Punjab also made one of the biggest contributions.”
Ms Banerjee added, “Is this acceptable if we cannot say ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ and if they disrespect Raja Rammohan Roy by calling him a British agent? You are disrespecting our land! Why won't we raise these slogans? They are the calls of our public representations also. Whoever opposes these calls will break apart.”
