The political uproar over the ‘Vande Mataram’ controversy reached the monthly meeting at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation today with heated exchanges between the House representatives of the ruling party and the opposition councillors of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The debate began with the Trinamul Congress councillor Arup Chakraborty proposing a’ censure motion’ condemning the controversy surrounding the national song. The councillor of ward number 98 also slammed the BJP for Prime Minister Narndra Modi’s ‘Bankim Da’ remark at the Parliament during the discussion of the 150 years of Vande Mataram song. Terming the remark as an attack on the pride of the Bengalis, Mr Chakraborty proposed a united condemnation by the councillors of the House. Reacting to the proposal, BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh also led a scathing attack on the TMC councillors over the issue.
The argument and the counter argument between the councillors of the two political parties led to a heated session at the monthly meeting today. The situation turned intense when mayor Firhad Hakim slammed the Chief Minister of Bihar Nitesh Kumar, who is a BJP ally for his recent act of pulling the hijab of a Muslim woman AYUSH doctor Nusrat Praveen while handing over the appointment letter on 15 December. The Mayor, who is also state urban development and municipal affairs minister, condemned the BJP for the Vande Mataram’ issue act in strong words: “The insult of these personalities is an insult to the entire country. These people cannot have the experience of the thousands of youth who gave up their life during the freedom struggle, singing the slogan of Vande Mataram and that is why they can say Bankim Da. Some day they might even say Rabi Da as they do not have any association with the freedom struggle of the country.”