‘Mamata invokes Bengali pride whenever she is faced with political crisis’: Sukanta on ‘state anthem’ row
The Statesman | 9 November 2025
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar on Saturday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s move to promote a ‘state anthem’, alleging that she invokes Bengali pride whenever she faces political crises. He termed the anthem a “political song,” adding that the BJP is protesting it for that reason.
It is being claimed that Mamata Banerjee is currently grappling with a political crisis in the state following two back-to-back alleged incidents of rape — one involving an engineering student in Kolkata and another involving a medical student in Paschim Bardhaman.
Notably, Kolkata was recently recognised as the “Safest City” for the fourth consecutive year, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.
A political row erupted in West Bengal over two of Bengal’s most revered cultural icons; Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
The controversy began after Karnataka BJP leader Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri alleged that “Vande Mataram should have been the national anthem.” Kageri, a former Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, triggered controversy by suggesting that India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, was originally written as a “welcome song for British officials.”
He made the remarks at an event celebrating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, arguing that it would have been a more fitting choice for the national anthem. His comments triggered sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which called it an insult to Rabindranath Tagore — the Nobel laureate who composed Jana Gana Mana, India’s national anthem.
Kageri later withdrew his remarks following widespread backlash, stating that he did not wish to extend an “unnecessary public debate.”