Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday the BJP had been changing the names of historical places and institutions unilaterally to suit their political interests. Taking to social media, Banerjee said BJP’s attitude was totally different towards Bengal.
Hitting out at the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CM wrote in a Facebook post: ”Recently, I have been noticing that almost every day BJP has been changing the names of historical places and institutions unilaterally to suit their own political vested interests.
After independence, there have been changes in the names of few states and cities, like Orissa to Odisha, Pondicherry to Puducherry, Madras to Chennai, Bombay to Mumbai, Bangalore to Bengaluru etc, keeping in view the sentiments of the state and local language. Those are genuine. But, in respect of Bengal, the attitude is totally different.”
She added: “Our Assembly had passed a unanimous resolution to change the name of our state on the basis of local sentiments related to our mother tongue, Bangla. It was resolved that the name of the state be changed from West Bengal to Bengal in English, Bangla in Bengali and Bengal in Hindi and sent to the Union Home Ministry.”
Banerjee said a decision on this was still pending.
”…the Union Home Ministry advised us to use the name Bangla in all three languages. Accordingly, our Assembly passed a unanimous resolution to change the name of the state to Bangla in all three languages and sent it to the Union Home Ministry again,.But, it is pending there for a long, long time. It clearly shows deprivation to the people of Bengal,” Banerjee added.
Seeking a positive response immediately from the Central government in the matter, the TMC supremo said, ”Whether a political party with zero strength in the state will decide the name of our state Or the unanimous resolution passed by our State Assembly in accordance with the Constitutional obligations and federal structure should be respected?”