BJP West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya has said the state government is likely to introduce a bill in the Assembly proposing to change the name of West Bengal to ‘Paschim Banga’.
Bhattacharya made the statement while addressing a press conference in Cooch Behar. He was responding to questions about the proposed construction of a ‘Paschim Banga Bhawan’ in Varanasi.
He said the state government could bring the bill during the ongoing Assembly session.
“The name Paschim Banga is being used with the aim of connecting the state with its history. You will no longer have to use names like Bangla or West Bengal because the state government will very soon, possibly in this very Assembly session, introduce a bill to change the name of our state to Paschim Banga. This name will be in accordance with its history,” Bhattacharya said.
Bhattacharya also said the state Culture and Tourism Department, in coordination with the Centre and descendants of the Cooch Behar royal family, has drawn up a plan to construct a Paschim Banga Bhawan in Varanasi.
According to him, the proposed building will serve as a cultural centre and provide accommodation for tourists and pilgrims from Bengal visiting Varanasi.
‘Varanasi, Bengal Have Had Close Ties For Long’
Bhattacharya said Varanasi and Bengal have shared a close cultural and spiritual connection for a long time.
“Varanasi and Bengal have had deep ties for a long time. There is also a spiritual connection between the two. The first college for women there was established by a Bengali, and there are several schools for Bengali students in the city. There is a strong Bengali presence there,” he said.
Bhattacharya added that the Cooch Behar royal family laid the foundation stone for the Banaras Kalibari in 1836 and built two temples there around a decade later.
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