West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the BJP amid the heated national debate over Vande Mataram. Speaking at a press conference in Kolkata, she questioned why the BJP refuses to acknowledge legendary figures such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore and Raja Ram Mohan Roy. “If they don’t respect Netaji, Tagore or Raja Ram Mohan Roy, then whom do they respect?” she asked, criticising BJP leaders for their alleged remarks.
She further addressed her absence from a grand Bhagavad Gita chanting event held in Kolkata on Sunday, which drew lakhs of participants and was viewed as a major Hindu identity mobilisation before the 2026 Assembly elections. Mamata said she skipped the event because it was directly linked to the BJP.
“If the programme had been neutral, I would have attended,” she said at the airport. She added that she respects all religions but cannot participate in events where Netaji is insulted or Gandhian principles are ignored. Mamata said her values do not permit her to stand with those who show disrespect towards Bengal or Bengali culture.
