Bill to rename West Bengal 'Paschim Banga' likely in coming Assembly session

The state government has stepped up moves to change the name of West Bengal. Preparations are under way to introduce a new bill for the purpose in the coming session of the Assembly. Under the proposal, the state's name will be 'Paschim Banga' in all languages, and other names such as 'West Bengal' or 'Paschim Bangal' will no longer be used.

Speaking to reporters in Jalpaiguri, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya set out his position on the demand. He said it was not the demand of Samik Bhattacharya or Suvendu Adhikari. He also said it was not the demand of any worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

According to Bhattacharya, Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. He said the person who became president after the deaths of Acharya Deva Prasad and Syama Prasad Mukherjee also held the same view, that nobody should forget history.

Bhattacharya added that everyone used to be known as 'Anga-Banga-Kalinga'. He said that after the partition of Bengal, what had been called 'Paschim Banga' came into being on June 20, 1947. He said all the Hindu MLAs of the Congress at that time had voted in favour of the proposal. "It is not 'West Bengal' and it is in no form 'Paschim Bangal'; it is 'Paschim Banga'. Whether in Bengali or English, this is how it is pronounced and this is how it will remain," Bhattacharya said.

Separately, state minister Agnimitra Paul commented on the by-elections under way in the state. She said by-elections were being held in Nandigram and Rejinagar from this morning. She said the people there knew whom they wanted to vote for and that everyone wanted development.

On the bill to rename the state, Paul said it was a very good and very big thing that a bill was being brought to rename West Bengal.

Speaking about the opposition, Paul said that when the opposition wins, the EVMs are fine, and when it loses, there is tampering with the EVMs. She said the people of Bengal knew this, as did the 140 crore people of the country.

Paul also spoke about the arrest of Humayun Kabir, chief of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP). She said Kabir had been arrested because he stoked religious discord. She said he was spoiling the atmosphere by doing such things and that "we will not let him do this".

West Bengal Police arrested Kabir, AJUP chief and MLA, during the Rejinagar Assembly by-election. The opposition has sharply criticised the ruling side over the arrest.