India News | Discussion on Bengal Foundation Day to Be Held in Assembly on Sept 7
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The West Bengal assembly will hold a discussion on September 7 to decide on the date to observe the state's foundation day, an official said.
Kolkata, Sep 5 (PTI) The West Bengal assembly will hold a discussion on September 7 to decide on the date to observe the state's foundation day, an official said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had last week said the Centre's choice of June 20 as the state's foundation day is "wrong," and the day for observing the occasion will be decided in the assembly.
She was speaking at an all-party meeting convened by the West Bengal government to discuss a date for the state's foundation day.
"On Thursday (September 7), a discussion will be held and a resolution passed in the assembly regarding the state's foundation day," TMC chief whip Nirmal Ghosh told PTI.
The all-party meeting was boycotted by opposition parties such as CPI(M) and CPI, even though both Left parties are constituents of the opposition alliance INDIA, of which the TMC is also a part.
The BJP and Congress had also boycotted the meeting.
Most of the dignitaries who attended the meeting, cutting across the professional, political, social and cultural spectrum, advocated that April 15, celebrated as the Bengali New Year (Poila Baisakh), be observed as the state's foundation day.
On June 20, 1947, two meetings of separate sets of legislators in the Bengal Assembly were held. One of those who wanted West Bengal as part of India voted in favour of the resolution by a majority. The other was of legislators of areas that eventually became East Pakistan.
Despite strong objections from the chief minister, the state foundation day was observed in the Raj Bhavan here and in other states on June 20 this year, following an instruction from the Centre.
The celebration of the day on June 20 had kicked off a storm, with the state government and Raj Bhawan locking horns with Banerjee, who accused the BJP and Governor CV Ananda Bose of using the state's 'foundation day' for political gains and promoting a narrative favoured by the saffron camp.
The governor, who organised the state's 'foundation day' programme at Raj Bhavan despite objections by Banerjee, said the state government's concerns would be "treated with all seriousness." The BJP, too, had observed the day across the state.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)