Balagarh TMC MLA Manoranjan Byapari on Wednesday demanded that West Bengal have a state flag. In the Assembly, he said, “If we have a state day and state song, we should also have a separate flag for our state. Many states like Karnataka have a state flag and when I see that, I feel proud.”

Coming out from the Assembly, he said, “…The Hon’ble Chief Minister gave us state music. The state is grateful to her. However, there is no flag in our state.”

Byapari raised the issue during a question-answer session when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Speaker Biman Banerjee were not present in the House. Deputy Speaker Ashish Banerjee was conducting the house. BJP MLAs had also walked out from the Assembly.

Later, BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said, “I think he is now in trouble in his constituency. So, by saying such things, he is trying to be close to the Chief Minister. We know the Chief Minister always becomes happy hearing such things.”

Another BJP MLA Subrata Maitra said, “Kashmir had a separate flag when there was Article 370. He (Byapari) wants to make Kashmir here.”

Monoranjan Byapari, known as a prominent Dalit author, was a rickshaw puller in his early life. Banerjee made him the MLA candidate in 2021 from Balagarh and he won. He is also the Chairman of the Dalit Sahitya Academy of West Bengal.