Delhi: Mamata meets PM Modi, raises issue of West Bengal name change

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Wednesday and raised the issue related to the proposal of renaming West Bengal to Bangla.

It was Banerjee's first meeting with Modi after the latter took office for a second consecutive term following the April-May Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.

Terming her meeting as 'good' and 'non-political', Banerjee said, "We discussed the proposal of changing the name of West Bengal to Bangla. We passed a resolution regarding this in the state Assembly. I told him that people's sentiments are connected with Bangla. He has promised to do something about the matter."

"Our meeting went good. This was my first meeting with the Prime Minister after he won his second term. The meeting was non-political. We discussed solely on development-oriented issues," she remarked.

Last July, the West Bengal Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution to change the state's name to Bangla in three languages -- Bengali, English and Hindi.

In July this year, the Centre had refused Banerjee's demand to rename West Bengal to Bangla saying that a constitutional amendment is needed to change the name of a state.

Meanwhile, Banerjee during the meeting invited Modi to inaugurate the coal field project in Birbhum.

"I have extended an invitation to the Prime Minister to visit West Bengal and inaugurate the world's second-largest coal block which is coming to the state. There will be an investment of Rs 12,000 crore and lakhs of people will get employment," Banerjee said.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said she would seek an appointment to meet Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday.