Kolkata/New Delhi, August 4, 2025:
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly condemned a letter issued by Delhi Police that referred to Bengali (Bangla) as a “Bangladeshi language,” calling the move “scandalous, insulting, anti‑national, and unconstitutional.” The controversy began when Mamata Banerjee, via a post on X, shared an image of the August 3 letter and emphasized that Bengali is enshrined in the Indian Constitution and is the mother tongue of iconic figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Background and Details of the Controversy
The letter in question, reportedly sent by Delhi Police to Banga Bhawan (the West Bengal state guest house in Delhi), sought help with translating documents described as written in the “Bangladeshi language.” The documents belonged to eight persons suspected of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. According to the letter, police required an interpreter “proficient in Bangladeshi national language.”
While Hindustan Times could not independently verify the letter’s authenticity, Delhi Police have yet to issue an official response. TMC national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee demanded an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, under whose ministry Delhi Police functions. He called the letter “a shocking escalation” and accused the authorities of attempting to “undermine Bengali identity” and “equate Indian Bengalis with foreigners.”
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Political and Public Reactions
The issue has further ignited a war of words between the TMC and BJP. West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya accused the TMC of “fear-mongering tactics” and “shielding” illegal immigrants, while BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya described Mamata’s protest as “vote‑bank politics” and “a badly scripted political stunt.”
Prominent figures in Bengal’s cultural sphere also voiced anger. Singer Surojit Chatterjee and film director Srijit Mukherji strongly objected to Bengali being described as “Bangladeshi language,” pointing out that it is one of India’s 22 official languages and the language in which India’s national anthem was originally written.
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