Politics · India Bureau
Bengal CM criticises 'Azadi' slogans during Vande Mataram event
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's deputy Suvendu Adhikari led a mass recitation of the national song at Jadavpur University, drawing thousands of participants. The event became a platform to challenge slogans perceived as anti-national.
LSN India ·
Suvendu Adhikari, the Chief Minister's top aide, organised a large-scale public recitation of Vande Mataram at Jadavpur in Kolkata on Thursday, attracting thousands of attendees to participate in the patriotic exercise. The gathering underscored efforts to promote nationalist sentiment in the state capital.
During the event, Adhikari took aim at what he termed 'Azadi' slogans, characterising them as contrary to national interests. His remarks reflected growing political tensions over how dissent and patriotic expression are defined and contested across West Bengal's ideological landscape.
The Vande Mataram recitation has long held symbolic significance in Indian political discourse, serving as a rallying point for various political movements. Thursday's mass gathering at the university campus, a historically significant venue for student activism, underscored the continued contestation over nationalist narratives in the state.
The event drew support from party workers and citizens, demonstrating the mobilisational capacity around such patriotic programmes. Adhikari's comments signalled the administration's intent to shape public discourse around national pride and loyalty in the run-up to key political developments in the state.