Mamata to be held accountable for inciting linguistic conflict: BJP

Amid chaos over Delhi police allegedly referring to Bengali as Bangladeshi language in a communication note, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on Monday morning hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, suggesting that she be booked under National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly inciting linguistic conflict.

He argued that her reaction to the entire issue was "misplaced and dangerously inflammatory", while adding that Delhi Police's letter does not describe Bangla as a 'Bangladeshi' language. 

 

"Mamata Banerjee's reaction to Delhi Police referring to the language used by infiltrators as 'Bangladeshi' is not just misplaced, it is dangerously inflammatory. Nowhere in the Delhi Police letter is Bangla or Bengali described as a 'Bangladeshi' language. To claim otherwise and call upon Bengalis to rise against the Centre is deeply irresponsible. Mamata Banerjee should be held accountable--perhaps even under the National Security Act--for inciting linguistic conflict," Malviya posted on X.

He said that the police were "absolutely right" in referring to the language as Bangladeshi in the context of identifying infiltrators since the term focuses on dialects, syntax, and speech patterns that are different from Bangla spoken in India. 

 

"The official language of Bangladesh is not only phonologically different, but also includes dialects like Sylheti that are nearly incomprehensible to Indian Bengalis," Malviya said.

"Delhi Police is absolutely right in referring to the language as Bangladeshi in the context of identifying infiltrators. The term is being used to describe a set of dialects, syntax, and speech patterns that are distinctly different from the Bangla spoken in India. The official language of Bangladesh is not only phonologically different, but also includes dialects like Sylheti that are nearly incomprehensible to Indian Bengalis," he added. 

 

Malviya further stated that Delhi police's use of "Bangladeshi language" was a shorthand for linguistic markers used to profile alleged illegal immigrants from the neighbouring country.

"There is, in fact, no language called 'Bengali' that neatly covers all these variants. "Bengali" denotes ethnicity, not linguistic uniformity. So when the Delhi Police uses "Bangladeshi language," it is a shorthand for the linguistic markers used to profile illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, not a commentary on Bengali as spoken in West Bengal," he said.

His remarks come after Banerjee on Sunday accused the Delhi Police of describing Bengali as a "Bangladeshi language", calling it scandalous, anti-national and unconstitutional. 

 

Sharing a letter by Delhi Police on X, Banerjee said, "See now how Delhi police under the direct control of the Ministry of Home, Government of India, is describing Bengali as 'Bangladeshi' language! Bengali, our mother tongue, the language of Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda, the language in which our National Anthem and the National Song (the latter by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay) are 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!!"

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammed (Md) Salim also trained guns on Delhi Police, calling it "illiterate", posted on X, "Will the 'illiterate' [?]Delhi Police tell us what's this 'Bangladeshi language'? Moreover, why Delhi Police has failed to make their officers aware of the 8th Schedule of our Constitution.