Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of insulting celebrated novelist and Vande Mataram author Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by casually referring to him as “Bankim da” in Parliament. She alleged that the BJP has repeatedly undermined Bengal’s cultural and historical figures.
Speaking at a public rally in Cooch Behar, Banerjee said that the nation’s cultural icons must be treated with dignity, especially those who shaped India’s freedom movement. She criticised the Prime Minister’s choice of words, saying Bankim Chandra was not given the respect he deserved.
“The person who wrote the national song was disrespected. You should bow your head and apologise. Even then you may not be forgiven, because this is disrespect to the country’s history,” she said.
The controversy began after Modi, during a Lok Sabha discussion marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, used the term “Bankim da.” TMC MP Saugata Roy objected and asked the Prime Minister to say “Bankim Babu” instead. Modi immediately agreed, saying he respected the sentiment, and even joked whether he could still address Roy as “dada.”
Despite the clarification, TMC kept up its attack. Banerjee said the remark sounded like someone calling out to a neighbour, and not a revered literary figure who wrote one of India’s most iconic national songs.
The Chief Minister also invoked Bengal’s contributions to India’s freedom struggle, saying that generations before them had fought, suffered, and sacrificed. She questioned BJP’s role in the independence movement and accused the party of repeatedly belittling Bengal’s legacy.
She alleged that BJP had earlier labelled Raja Ram Mohan Roy as “not a patriot,” called Khudiram Bose a “terrorist,” and vandalised the bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in Kolkata. According to her, these incidents show a pattern of disrespect.
Banerjee escalated her criticism further, calling the BJP-led Union Government “autocratic,” “corrupt,” and likening it to characters from the Mahabharata, alleging it was working to weaken democratic institutions.
She warned that if BJP comes to power in West Bengal, the state’s culture, language, and heritage would be in danger. The Chief Minister also claimed that the next Assembly election would be announced immediately after the publication of the revised electoral roll under the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Banerjee accused BJP of using the SIR process to create fear among voters and influence the electoral environment ahead of the polls. The political clash over Vande Mataram and Bankim Chandra has further intensified the already heated political atmosphere in Bengal as the state moves closer to next year’s Assembly election.
