Mamata Slams Delhi Police for Calling Bengali a ‘Bangladeshi Language’; BJP Hits Back

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has condemned as “scandalous, insulting, anti-national, and unconstitutional” a Delhi Police letter dated August 3 that referred to Bengali (Bangla) as a “Bangladeshi language.” The remark sparked widespread outrage across the political spectrum and among cultural figures, with even the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) arch-rival, the CPI(M), joining in the criticism.

Banerjee, sharing an image of the letter on X, asserted that Bengali is a constitutionally recognised Indian language and the mother tongue of luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. The letter in question was reportedly addressed to Banga Bhawan, West Bengal’s state guest house in Delhi, and requested assistance in translating documents belonging to eight individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The Delhi Police has yet to respond to the controversy, and the letter’s authenticity has not been independently verified.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee demanded an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, under whose ministry the Delhi Police operates. “This is not an isolated case. Bengali-speaking Indians are being systematically targeted across BJP-ruled states,” he said, calling the letter “a shocking escalation” aimed at undermining Bengali identity.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also weighed in, calling the reference to Bengali as a “Bangladeshi language” a “calculated action” and demanding an unconditional apology from the police.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya hit back, accusing Mamata Banerjee of “peddling misinformation for vote-bank politics” and calling her remarks a “badly scripted political stunt.”

The CPI(M) also condemned the incident, stating, “Bengali is spoken by millions across India. But Delhi Police equating Bengali with Bangladeshi shows criminal ignorance.”

Several Bengali cultural figures voiced their anger. Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji wrote on X, “That’s not Bangladeshi language… that’s Bangla or Bengali — the same language in which your national anthem was originally written.” Singer Surojit Chatterjee added, “This ignorance is exactly what I expect from those in charge — not surprised at all.”

West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya defended the party, accusing the TMC of “fear-mongering” and trying to “shield illegal immigrants” by politicising the issue.

The controversy comes amid heightened sensitivity in Bengal over identity, language, and immigration — all politically charged issues with significant electoral implications.