Mamata slams Delhi police for calling Bengali ‘Bangladesh language’

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed strong anger at the Delhi Police for referring to the Bengali language as “the national language of Bangladesh.”

In a statement, she described this comment as “insulting, anti-national, and unconstitutional.” The Indian news agency PTI reported the incident, according to a report published by NDTV on Monday (August 4).

The controversy arose over a letter sent to the Officer-in-Charge of the Delhi-based Bangla Bhavan. The letter was reportedly written in the context of an investigation under the Foreigners Act.

TMC leader Mamata Banerjee said, “Look at how the Delhi Police, which functions directly under the control of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has described Bengali as a ‘Bangladeshi language.’ This is a grave insult to Bengalis.”

She further added, “Bengali is not just my mother tongue—it is the language of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda. Both India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and national song ‘Vande Mataram’ were written in Bengali. Millions of Indians speak and write in this language. A language that is recognized by the Indian Constitution is now being called the language of Bangladesh!”

Mamata Banerjee framed the incident as a reflection of the central government’s “anti-Bengali mindset.” She said, “This is not only insulting, but disgraceful, anti-national, and unconstitutional. By using such language, all Bengali-speaking people in the country have been disrespected. We strongly protest this.”

The Trinamool Congress also posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), alleging that after arresting eight suspected Bangladeshi nationals in a case in Delhi, the police sent a letter to Bangla Bhavan requesting a translator for the “Bangladeshi national language.”

The incident has sparked widespread reactions on social media.