- KR Bharat
- 2025-12-09
Mamata Banerjee demands PM’s apology for ‘Bankim da’ remark, calls it insult to Bengal’s cultural icon
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday (December 9, 2025) demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he insulted revered novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by referring to him as “Bankim da”.
Speaking at a rally in Cooch Behar, Ms. Banerjee said the Prime Minister had shown “casual disrespect” to one of Bengal’s greatest cultural figures. “You were not even born when India got Independence, yet you choose to address Bankim Chandra so casually. You should apologise to the nation,” she said.
The controversy began during a Lok Sabha discussion on Monday (December 8, 2025) marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, authored by Chattopadhyay. TMC MP Saugata Roy objected to the PM’s use of the suffix “da” and asked him to use “Bankim babu” instead. Prime Minister Modi immediately agreed, saying he respected the sentiment and light-heartedly asked Roy if he could still call him “dada”.
Targeting the BJP, Ms. Banerjee warned that the party would “destroy Bengal’s culture, language and heritage” if voted to power in the State. She also indicated that Assembly elections could be announced soon after the final electoral rolls are published following the SIR exercise, ensuring no legal challenges.
