West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said those parties celebrating the "so-called" State Foundation Day were doing so with a set political narrative and agenda. The TMC supremo said she had spent her entire life in Bengal but never heard about any "State Foundation Day".
Banerjee said she had written a letter to Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose objecting to this new practice.
"I have been born in Bengal...We have spent our entire life in Bengal, but never heard about any 'State Foundation Day'. Nothing of this sort has ever been celebrated in our history, nor has any Act been ever passed by the Cabinet," Banerjee said.
Condemning the practice, Banerjee said it was being done with the sole purpose of defaming Bengal. "It is being carried out with the purpose of insulting the soil of Bengal, and the people of our land," the Bengal CM further said.
She said even the Left and Congress were unaware of this 'State Foundation Day', directing her attack on the BJP.
"If BJP believes that whatever they decide to celebrate, other parties have to agree to, they are mistaken...Will the Centre decide which state should celebrate 'Foundation Day' events?" Banerjee said.
Earlier in the day, Governor CV Ananda Bose organised the state's 'Foundation Day' programme at the Raj Bhavan despite objections by CM Banerjee.
However, Bose assured that Banerjee's objection "will receive priority attention and be taken up with competent authorities for appropriate action".
The Governor clarified that the event was organised as per an advisory by the Centre that proposed celebrating foundation days of all states and Union Territories by all Raj Bhavans.
No representative of the state government was present at the Raj Bhavan event.
Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, slammed the TMC for opposing the ‘Foundation Day’ programme.
"Mamata Banerjee does not want to recognise the ‘Foundation Day’ of the state as she thinks West Bengal lies in a different country. History cannot be made irrelevant," PTI quoted Adhikari as saying.
On June 20, 1947, two meetings of different sets of legislators were held in the Bengal Assembly. One set of legislators who wanted West Bengal as part of India, voted in favour of the resolution by a majority. The other set was of legislators of areas which eventually became East Pakistan.