Daijiworld Media Network - Guwahati
Guwahati, Oct 29: The Assam government has ordered an investigation after a video showing senior Congress leader Vidhu Bhushan Das singing Bangladesh’s national anthem, Amar Sonar Bangla, during a party meeting in Sribhumi district went viral, triggering a political stir.
The incident reportedly took place on October 27 at a Congress Seva Dal meeting held at Indira Bhavan, the party’s district office in Sribhumi. In the video, the 85-year-old poet and leader is seen reciting a few lines of the Tagore-composed anthem. Rabindranath Tagore, who also wrote India’s national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, penned this song.
Following the video’s circulation, Assam Fishery Minister Krishnendu Paul instructed the district administration to verify the incident. “We have received oral instructions from the minister to conduct an inquiry and confirm the facts,” said a senior district official.
Minister Paul criticized the act, claiming it reflected the Congress party’s “affinity for Bangladesh,” and added, “The Congress gave birth to Pakistan, and Bangladesh was part of that country. Singing its national anthem shows their love for the neighbouring nation.” He warned that legal action could follow if the allegations are verified.
Congress leaders defended Das, calling the controversy politically motivated. Sribhumi District Congress president Tapas Purkayastha stated, “Don’t play politics with Rabindranath Tagore. Our senior leader only sang two lines of a Tagore composition. Calling it anti-national insults Tagore himself.”
Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi echoed this, accusing the BJP of manufacturing controversies to distract the public. “The song reflects Bengali cultural pride. The BJP has consistently disrespected the Bengali language and culture,” he said.
The BJP countered by accusing the Congress of “appeasing Bangladeshi infiltrators” and indulging in “vote-bank politics.”
The episode has once again highlighted Assam’s sensitive linguistic and cultural balance, where Bengali-speaking communities coexist alongside various ethnic and indigenous groups.