Omar Abdullah Supports Mamata Banerjee's Proposal to Rename West Bengal

Support for Name Change Proposal

On Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his backing for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent statement advocating for the renaming of West Bengal to 'Bangla'. He suggested that if the state assembly puts forth such a proposal, the central government should consider it. Abdullah referenced the recent approval by the central cabinet to rename Kerala to 'Keralam', questioning the disparity between the two states.

Abdullah stated that if Banerjee has made this request, the central government ought to accept it. He posed the question: if Kerala can be renamed, why not West Bengal? He further mentioned that if the Jammu and Kashmir assembly were to propose a name change, the central government should also take that into account. This discussion arose after Banerjee reminded the central government of West Bengal's long-standing proposal to change its name to 'Bangla', while congratulating Kerala on its new name.

According to a post by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Banerjee criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), labeling it as 'anti-Bangla' and asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah do not respect the state's heritage and language. The TMC congratulated the people of Kerala on the cabinet's decision to rename their state to 'Keralam', while also highlighting that West Bengal's proposal to change its name has been overlooked for years. Banerjee emphasized that the legitimate demand of West Bengal should not be dismissed simply because the state has refused to yield to the BJP.

Political Dynamics in West Bengal

The TMC posted on X, stating that during every election season, Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah visit Bengal, shedding crocodile tears while pretending to love the land, culture, and people. They urged an end to this charade, asserting that these 'anti-Bangla' figures show no respect for the state's heritage, language, ideals, or dignity. The TMC expressed that while they celebrate any state asserting its identity, Bengal will not accept this retaliatory discrimination. The legitimate demands of Bengal cannot be dismissed merely because the state refuses to bow to the BJP's higher command.