KOLKATA: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Nagendra Roy, popularly known as Ananta Maharaj, stumped his party on Saturday when he shared the dais with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at the International Mother Language Day celebration in the city and received the state government’s top award, Banga Bibhushan, from her for his contribution to the social welfare of his Rajbanshi community.
Mr Roy’s presence at the state government event in Deshapriya Park of south Kolkata has triggered fresh speculations about his equation with the Trinamul Congress supremo to deal a blow to BJP in the upcoming Assembly Election here. His nomination however remained secret till he reached the venue and was welcomed by Ms Banerjee.
In a brief address following a request by the CM, Mr Roy thanked her for the award and recited a poem in his mother tongue in memory of Bir Chila Rai, the icon of Rajbanshi community. This is however not the first time when the BJP MP from Coochbehar in North Bengal embarrassed his party.
In December last year, he triggered a huge controversy calling President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose “Pakistani, Bangladeshi” to vent his anger over the Election Commission’s special intensive revision of the voters’ list. Earlier, Ms Banerjee met Mr Roy at his residence in Cooch Behar during a district tour in June of 2024.
Speaking at the event, the CM alleged the run of “autocracy” across the country in a veiled reference to the BJP-rule at the Centre. She also claimed of an attempt to grab Bengal in a “great hurry” bulldozing its language and culture and deleting names from the voters’ list anyhow. Challenging BJP of a fight, the TMC chief reminded them that Bengali language did not come to existence at their mercy.
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