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Mamata lashes out at Centre; defends her mother language

Criticisng the BJP-led central government for not responding to the state government’s proposal for renaming West Bengal to Bangla, Mamata questioned the reason behind Centre’s attitude.

Mamata lashes out at Centre; defends her mother language

(Facebook/@MamataBanerjee)

Hitting out at the BJP-led central government for not responding to her government’s proposal for changing the state’s name to “Bangla”, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said her mother language Bangla “has taught her to fight like a tigress and not to fear rats”.

“I am proud of my mother language and so can speak in a loud voice. This language has taught me to fight like a tigress and not fear the rats. I accept all challenges. Let’s see who wins. I’ll be the goal keeper, let me see who wins the game. Even if I am sent to jail, I will shout ‘Jai Bangla’ from there. We have not learnt to lose. This is our pledge on this sacred occasion,” Mamata said while attending the International Mother Language Day programme at Deshapriya Park.

Her comments came a few hours after the CBI issued notice to Trinamul Congress MP and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s wife.

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“I have heard that some politicians are speaking of breaking our spinal cords. I would ask them to come and try to break us. They are threatening us, warning us to send us to jail and gouge out our eyes. But remember that it is not so easy to break us and till I am alive do not be scared of any threats,” she said.

Criticisng the BJP-led central government for not responding to the state government’s proposal for renaming West Bengal to Bangla, Mamata questioned the reason behind Centre’s attitude.

“We wanted to name the state ‘Bangal’ but the Union home ministry did not allow. We amended it to ‘Bangla’ and re-sent the proposal, but it has not been accepted though four years have passed,” she said questioning if Orissa can be named after Odiya why can’t Bangla be named after Bangla language? “I love Bengali and don’t disrespect other languages,” she added.

Mamata alleged that Bengal has always been criticised and is shown a step-motherly attitude. “The attitude and perspective towards West Bengal is very bad. They don’t stop from calling us beggars. If someone from Bengal becomes superior then all efforts are put together to pull that person down. Even Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, Ram Mohan Roy and Rabindranath Tagore were not spared,” she added.

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