West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee on Sunday lashed out at the Delhi Police for referring to the Bengali language as "Bangladeshi national language" in a purported letter, alleging that it was "insulting, anti-national and unconstitutional".
The letter, linked to an investigation of a case under the 'Foreigners' Act', was written to the officer-in-charge of Banga Bhawan, the official guest house of the state government in the national capital.
The Trinamool Congress supremo described the Centre as anti-Bengali and urged all to stage protests against such "anti-Constitutional language to insult and humiliate Bengali-speaking people of India".
"See now how Delhi Police under the direct control of the Ministry of Home, Government of India, is describing Bengali as "Bangladeshi" language!" Banerjee posted on her Facebook account, sharing a copy of the letter.
Banerjee said that Bengali is not only her mother tongue but also the language of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda.
She also said that Bengali was the language in which both India's national anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana' by Tagore and national song 'Vande Mataram' by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay were written.
"... the language in which crores of Indians speak and write, the language which is sanctified and recognised by the Constitution of India, is now described as a Bangladeshi language!!" Banerjee said.
"Scandalous, insulting, anti-national, unconstitutional!! This insults all Bengali-speaking people of India. They cannot use this kind of language, which degrades and debases us all. We urge immediate, strongest possible protests from all against the anti-Bengali Government of India who are using such anti-Constitutional language to insult and humiliate the Bengali-speaking people of India," she said.
Earlier in the day, the TMC posted a letter, in its X handle, claiming that the police officer in charge of the investigation has written to the Banga Bhawan in the national capital, seeking a translator for "Bangladeshi national language" following the arrest of eight people, suspected to have illegally crossed over into India from the neighbouring country.
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