'Insulting and unconstitutional': Mamata protests after Delhi Police calls Bangla a 'language of Bangladesh'
Bengali, our mother tongue, the language of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, the language in which our National Anthem and the… pic.twitter.com/2ACUyehSx8
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 3, 2025
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Time of India
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Abhishek urges unity within party, attacks BJP during TMC meet
1 2 Kolkata: A day after being appointed Trinamool's leader in Lok Sabha, party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack on BJP during a virtual meeting with nearly 9,000 party functionaries on Tuesday. Amid preparations for the 2026 assembly elections, Banerjee underscored the need for discipline and accountability within the party. He warned against infighting and favouritism within party ranks, saying, "Everyone is a soldier of Mamata Banerjee ." He instructed booth-level party workers to conduct voter list verifications and report irregularities by Aug 31. "If BJP tries to drop even one name, they will not be allowed to step in Bengal," he warned. He also instructed party functionaries to say "Jai Bangla" when they see BJP netas. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata He accused the Election Commission of being influenced by BJP and expressed doubts about the role of BLOs (booth level officers). He urged party workers to hold 80,000 meetings across the state to reach out to the people. He said functionaries in booths or blocks where the party lost by more than 100 votes must be replaced. Banerjee hailed the state govt's doorstep grievance redressal programme, 'Amader Para, Amader Samadhan', as a historic first since Independence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Donating Plasma May Boost Your Income SpellRock Undo He urged party workers to showcase development initiatives and expose BJP's "divisive politics". Referring to a recent Delhi Police letter that allegedly labelled Bengali as "Bangladeshi language", Banerjee accused BJP of repeatedly insulting Bengal and its culture. "This is why we call them 'Bangla birodhi' and 'zamindars'. How dare they call Bangla bhasha as Bangladeshi?" he asked. He questioned why no BJP MLA spoke out against the "insult" meted out by BJP IT cell head, Amit Malviya towards Bengalis. The TMC MP also raised concerns over issues like the NRC in Assam, the SIR, and alleged cases of fake residential certificates in Bihar. He reiterated that the Centre owed Bengal over Rs 1.75 lakh crore in dues.
Time of India
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- Time of India
Barak leaders slam Malviya for calling Sylheti ‘B'deshi language'
Silchar: Leaders from various parties in the Barak Valley, including BJP, have criticised the party's IT cell head Amit Malviya for calling Sylheti, a dialect of Bengali, a "Bangladeshi language". The remark defending Delhi Police's controversial terminology, has sparked widespread backlash in Assam's Bengali-majority regions. BJP RS MP from Silchar, Kanad Purkayastha, wrote to Malviya, expressing "deep disappointment" over the remark. "You must be aware that at least 50 lakh Sylheti-speaking Bengalis reside in India, with the Barak Valley alone having a majority population of Sylheti speakers," he wrote. Purkayastha pointed out that several MPs, including himself, Sushmita Dev and Parimal Suklabaidya, speak Sylheti, as do many MLAs in Assam and Tripura. Listing historical figures such as Bipin Chandra Pal, Nibaran Chandra Laskar, and Kamala Bhattacharya — all Sylheti speakers — the MP added, "Since this debate has hurt the sentiments of over five million people, I felt it was important to present these facts." Former Silchar MP and BJP leader Rajdeep Roy said, "Over 70 lakh Indians across the Barak Valley, Tripura, and Meghalaya speak Sylheti." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What My Mother Tells Me: Don't Eat Pineapple And Other Pregnancy Myths Undo TMC MP Sushmita Dev said, "Such poor knowledge of our history. Shame on BJP." Various civil society groups and student organisations in Barak Valley have also expressed outrage, terming the remark an affront to linguistic pride. The controversy was triggered after Delhi Police issued a call for translators of the "Bangladeshi language", prompting clarification from Malviya. In his post, he claimed Sylheti is "nearly incomprehensible to Indian Bengalis" and used by "infiltrators", drawing sharp criticism from Sylheti-speaking communities across Northeast India. Political observers say the backlash highlights the sensitive nature of language politics in Assam, especially in Barak Valley where language movements have historically played a major role. With opposition parties seizing the opportunity, the BJP may now be forced to undertake damage control in a region considered one of its strongholds in Assam.
The Hindu
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Condemn Israel's actions in Gaza, civil society members urge govt.
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