Abhishek Banerjee Sparks Row With ‘Speaking Bengali Makes You Bangladeshi’ Remark
The Lok Sabha budget debate took a sharply political turn after Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee launched a stinging attack on the BJP over citizenship and identity politics. Speaking in Parliament, Banerjee said that in today’s India, singing “Joy Bangla” can get a person labelled an infiltrator, and speaking Bengali can get someone branded as Bangladeshi. He called this a dangerous trend where language and culture are being used as markers of suspicion. His remarks come amid an intense national debate over electoral roll revisions, illegal immigration and citizenship scrutiny. The statement has triggered a fresh political face-off between the TMC and the BJP.
