A video of a Congress leader singing 'Amar Sonar Bangla', Bangladesh’s national anthem, at a party event in Assam’s Sribhumi district drew criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the opposition party of being “Bangladesh-obsessed”.
BJP leaders have called for an investigation after Congress leader Bidhu Bhushan Das sang the national anthem of Bangladesh during a party meeting in the Sribhumi district of the Barak Valley.
The incident has sparked a fresh political storm, especially as tensions between India and Bangladesh have already been running high over Dhaka’s controversial new map on a book cover that showed parts of Northeast India within its borders.
While the BJP slammed the Congress for being “Bangladesh-obsessed” and questioned its sense of national pride, the Congress has brushed off the criticism as “politically motivated".
“The signs couldn’t be louder. Just days ago, Bangladesh dared to publish a map swallowing the entire Northeast, and now the Bangladesh-obsessed Congress is proudly singing Bangladesh’s national anthem right here in Assam. If after this someone still can’t see the agenda at play, then they’re either blind, complicit, or both,” the BJP’s Assam unit wrote on X.
The Congress dismissed the BJP’s allegations, calling them an attempt to stir unnecessary controversy for political gain. Party members said the incident was being blown out of proportion and misrepresented.
Shahadat Ahmed Choudhury, head of the party’s district media cell, clarified that Das had announced beforehand that he would be singing a Rabindrasangeet. “The song Amar Sonar Bangla is primarily known as a Tagore composition,” he said.
Samajwadi Party leader Virendra Singh also defended the act, saying the BJP is “continuously trying to label those who speak Bengali, especially Bangladeshis, as infiltrators”.
Written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905 , Amar Sonar Bangla, which translates to My Golden Bengal, was composed as a protest against the first partition of Bengal under British rule.In the song, Tagore describes Bengal’s landscapes, rivers, and the deep emotional connection that Bengalis feel with their homeland.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
