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Direct insult to language in which National Anthem was written: MK Stalin

Direct insult to language in which National Anthem was written: MK Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday backed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for calling out the Delhi police for allegedly referring to Bengali as a Bangladeshi language, labelling it a "direct insult to the very language in which the National Anthem is composed."
Stalin said that statements like these were not "inadvertent errors" but exposed the dark mindset of a regime that undermines diversity.
"The Delhi Police, under the Union Home Ministry, has described Bengali as a 'Bangladeshi language.' This is a direct insult to the very language in which our National Anthem was written. Such statements are not inadvertent errors or slips. They expose the dark mindset of a regime that consistently undermines diversity and weaponises identity," Stalin posed on X.
"In the face of this assault on non-Hindi languages, Mamata Banerjee stands as a shield for the language and people of West Bengal. She will not let this attack pass without a fitting response," he added.
Meanwhile, amid chaos over Delhi police allegedly referring to Bengali as Bangladeshi language in a communication note, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amti Malviya on Monday morning hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, suggesting that she be booked under the National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly inciting linguistic conflict.
He argued that her reaction to the entire issue was "misplaced and dangerously inflammatory", while adding that Delhi Police's letter does not describe Bangla as a 'Bangladeshi' language.
"Mamata Banerjee's reaction to Delhi Police referring to the language used by infiltrators as 'Bangladeshi' is not just misplaced, it is dangerously inflammatory. Nowhere in the Delhi Police letter is Bangla or Bengali described as a 'Bangladeshi' language. To claim otherwise and call upon Bengalis to rise against the Centre is deeply irresponsible. Mamata Banerjee should be held accountable--perhaps even under the National Security Act--for inciting linguistic conflict," Malviya posted on X.
Earlier, Banerjee on Sunday accused the Delhi Police of describing Bengali as a "Bangladeshi language", calling it scandalous, anti-national and unconstitutional.
Sharing a letter by Delhi Police on X, Banerjee said, "See now how Delhi police under the direct control of the Ministry of Home, Government of India, is describing Bengali as 'Bangladeshi' language! Bengali, our mother tongue, the language of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, the language in which our National Anthem and the National Song (the latter by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay) are written, the language in which crores of Indians speak and write, the language which is sanctified and recognised by the Constitution of India, is now described as a Bangladeshi language!!"
Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammed (Md) Salim also trained guns on Delhi Police, calling it "illiterate", posted on X, "Will the 'illiterate' [?]Delhi Police tell us what's this 'Bangladeshi language'? Moreover, why Delhi Police has failed to make their officers aware of the 8th Schedule of our Constitution.
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Why Mamata Banerjee allowed old lieutenant Kalyan Banerjee to quit as Chief Whip amid his feud with Mahua Moitra
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  • Indian Express

Why Mamata Banerjee allowed old lieutenant Kalyan Banerjee to quit as Chief Whip amid his feud with Mahua Moitra

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'Bogus' voters: Mamata Banerjee defies EC action on Bengal poll officials; calls commission BJP's ‘bonded labourer'
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Bangladesh's Silent Exodus: Hundreds Of Awami League Insiders 'Living Like Ghosts' Across India
Bangladesh's Silent Exodus: Hundreds Of Awami League Insiders 'Living Like Ghosts' Across India

News18

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Bangladesh's Silent Exodus: Hundreds Of Awami League Insiders 'Living Like Ghosts' Across India

Last Updated: They are quietly tucked into apartments across Delhi, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, while surviving on borrowed time, borrowed hope, and borrowed visas They once held ministerial portfolios, roamed around with police or military escorts, and shaped the power corridors of Dhaka. Today, they are quietly tucked into apartments across Delhi, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, while surviving on borrowed time, borrowed hope, and borrowed visas. Over 200 Awami League leaders, ex-MPs, senior police officers, former diplomats, and their families are living in India—jobless, visa-stretched, and watching their savings disappear. They are facing greater uncertainty than before following the Indian government's decision to deport the illegal or undocumented Bangladeshi migrants. With the cloud of uncertainty looming large, they have one question—what happens next and when? It is a story that has unfolded in whispers in guesthouses, private clinics, school admission offices, and embassy waiting rooms. Over 200 members of Bangladesh's once-mighty and ruling Awami League ecosystem, including former ministers, MPs, high-ranking police officers, diplomats who were close to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and leaders of the student wing, Chhatra League, have been living in India for over a year now, since August 5, 2024, when Hasina decided to fly out of Dhaka in the face of violent protests followed by a public rampage. They are not able to return to their homeland. The reasons are many, but the core reality is singular: they fear what lies back home. News18 has spoken with several such Awami League members and some former officers who served in Sheikh Hasina's government to understand their side of the story that unfolded over the past year. They are living in undisclosed locations, under the guidance of some senior officers of the government or certain politicians in respective states. It has been an arrangement of sympathetic co-existence for them. From moving with police escorts to hiding in shadows Since Sheikh Hasina's political fortunes took a dramatic turn, especially after the controversial 2024 election and the mounting crackdown on dissent and student protests, many of her close associates have trickled across the border into India. However, they were not in formal exile, not as refugees, not as asylum seekers, but on extended medical visas, tourist visas, and diplomatic passports with rapidly approaching expiry dates. Many are holed up in apartments in cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bengaluru and on the outskirts, as their political clout is now reduced to silent networking in diplomatic, bureaucratic, and political backchannels. Without work permits, employment visas, or political clarity, they live a ghost-like existence– jobless, stateless, and financially strained. Their children are not getting admission to schools or local institutions. Some families have moved more than once within India to avoid detection or local scrutiny. 'We fled to India just to survive while we saw our houses being set on fire and our relatives and workers being lynched. We thought that we would be able to return in a few months, as and when the situation stabilised. It has been over a year. There is no direction from the party chief (Hasina). And we are living like ghosts," says a former Awami League parliamentarian, requesting anonymity. 'Our bank accounts in Bangladesh are frozen. We could take some cash with us while some well-wishers helped. Currently, we are surviving on friends' help and whatever little we have saved." An ex-minister of Hasina's cabinet said, 'Apa (Hasina) met a few senior functionaries a few days back. We have to wait until the elections. The party wants us to return and prepare the ground for Apa to come back. But the situation is hostile; if we try to return, we will be immediately arrested." Another senior Awami League leader said he has been struggling to get his 4-year-old daughter admitted to a school. 'No school, not even for money, agreed to admit her. They need certain documents, which we cannot provide. Our whole family is on a medical visa. We keep pleading with the Indian officials to extend it every time," he said. Officials in exile, asylum options run dry At least 30 senior police officers across ranks and intelligence officials are also in the mix. Some had worked closely with the regime's internal security architecture and now fear political retribution or criminal trials if they return. Then there are the diplomats, at least half a dozen of them, who were once part of Sheikh Hasina's global charm offensive. Their diplomatic immunity means little now. Most are looking for third-country asylum options quietly, some via the UN, others through private legal channels. top videos View all 'India, for now, remains a reluctant host. They are sympathetic to our situation, but the government cannot offer anything further. We do not know what we have in store. They have done a lot for us, and we cannot complain. There has been no formal asylum offered because they do not have such policies. Some of our peers are trying to get some arrangement in some European countries," said a former diplomat, who was once in Hasina's core team. For the Awami League's extended political family now scattered across Indian metros, this is not just a pause. One former minister put it grimly: 'For us, there's no light at the end of this tunnel; it seems like a growing darkness we were not prepared for." Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Asylum Awami League bangladesh Sheikh Hasina visa view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 07, 2025, 08:30 IST News world Bangladesh's Silent Exodus: Hundreds Of Awami League Insiders 'Living Like Ghosts' Across India Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

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