Controversy Unfolds: 12 BJP MLAs Charged for Alleged National Anthem Disrespect in West Bengal

Just 48 hours after the BJP kickstarted its campaign in West Bengal for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at Amit Shah's rally, a controversy erupted as 12 BJP MLAs faced charges for allegedly disrespecting the national anthem on the premises of the state Assembly.

The FIR was filed at Hare Street Police Station following a complaint from the Secretary of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. The complaint referenced letters from TMC MLAs Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Chandrima Bhattacharya, and Tapas Ray to the Speaker. The BJP has labeled the FIR as illegal and announced plans to approach the courts on Monday to challenge it.

The sequence of events unfolded on Wednesday when Trinamool Congress MLAs, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, protested near the BR Ambedkar statue within the Assembly premises, highlighting the non-payment of central dues to the state government. During this protest, LoP Suvendhu Adhikary allegedly shouted "chor, chor" as he passed by the TMC gathering. The following day, Adhikary reportedly led BJP MLAs in a counter-protest with similar slogans, marking a rare occurrence within the West Bengal Assembly premises.

TMC MLAs reported to Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay that BJP legislators raised slogans while the ruling party was singing the national anthem. The FIR was subsequently filed against BJP MLAs Sankar Ghosh, Manoj Tigga, Sudip Kumar Mukherjee, Malati Reva Roy, Chandrani Barui, Niladri Sekhar Dana, Mihir Goswami, Manoj Kumar Oraon, Suman Kanjilal, Dipak Barman, and Hiranmoy Chattopadhyay.

While Suvendu Adhikari was mentioned in the attached letter, he was not included in the formal FIR. The case summary states, "During the incident, the BJP MLAs blocked the gate of the South Portico and incited and provoked a breach of peace at the said location. The investigation is currently underway."

TMC insiders indicate that the party plans to emphasize this issue in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections next year. TMC's Bobby Hakim asserted, "They are anti-national and they don’t love the motherland. That’s why, even when we were singing the national anthem, they were shouting. The FIR is there. We don’t know what the courts will do, but BJP is anti-national and anti-people."

In response, LoP Suvendhu Adhikary dismissed the FIR, claiming it was illegal and accused the police and ministers of misusing their power. He announced intentions to challenge it in court on Monday. BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul retaliated against TMC, stating, "Mamata Banerjee will not teach us nationalism. She has disregarded the national anthem. How dare they question us."

Sources suggest that the case might be transferred to the Kolkata Police Detective Department, and BJP MLAs may be subjected to questioning.