Bengal govt strips BJP MP Ananta Maharaj of Banga Bibhushan award over ‘insulting’ remarks against Netaji

The
awa d
had
bee
co fe ed
o
A a ta
Maha aj
i
Feb ua y
fo
his
co t ibutio
to
the
Rajba shi
commu ity
a d
p omotio
of
its
la guage
a d
cultu e.

NEW
DELHI:
The
West
Be gal
gove me t
o
Thu sday
withd ew
the
Ba ga
Bibhusha
awa d
f om
BJP
Rajya
Sabha
membe
A a ta
Maha aj
ove
his
alleged
de ogato y
comme t
agai st
Netaji.Ba ga
Bibhusha
is
o e
of
West
Be gal’s
highest
civilia
ho ou s,
awa ded
by
the
state
gove me t
to
emi e t
pe so alities
fo
outsta di g
co t ibutio s
i
fields
such
as
a t,
cultu e,
lite atu e,
social
se vice
a d
othe
a eas.
A a ta
Maha aj
was
co fe ed
the
Ba ga
Bibhusha
o
Feb ua y
21,
2026,
by
fo me
West
Be gal
chief
mi iste

Mamata
Ba e jee
at
a
state
gove me t
p og amme
i
Kolkata
ma ki g
I te atio al
Mothe
La guage
Day;
which
has
ow
bee
evoked.The
co t ove sy
e upted
afte
BJP
Rajya
Sabha
MP
Nage d a
Roy,
alias
A a ta
Maha aj,
questio ed
Netaji
Subhas
Cha d a
Bose’s
ole
i
fo mi g
a d
leadi g
the
Azad
Hi d
Fauj.
Speaki g
at
a
meeti g
i
Di hata
o
July
19,
Roy
asked,
“Did
Netaji
have
the
capacity
to
o ga ise
a d
fo m
the
Azad
Hi d
Fauj?”
He
the
claimed
that
“they
we e
all
B itish
soldie s”
a d
alleged
that
“the
I dia
Natio al
A my
(INA)
was
misused.”Roy
also
claimed
that
the
Azad
Hi d
Fauj
o igi ated
f om
B itish-I dia
t oops
who
had
bee
ha ded
ove
by
Ge ma y.

His
ema ks
t igge ed
a
backlash
i
West
Be gal,
with
political
leade s
a d
Rajba shi
o ga isatio s
co dem i g
the
comme ts
a d
dema di g
actio
agai st
the
BJP
MP.
P omi e t
Rajba shi
figu es
issued
a
joi t
stateme t
co dem i g
the
ema ks
as
false,
i sulti g
a d
damagi g
to
social
ha mo y.
Fo wa d
Bloc,
a
pa ty
fou ded
by
Netaji,
also
lodged
police
complai ts
a d
dema ded
the
immediate
evocatio
of
his
Rajya
Sabha
membe ship.

The
co t ove sy
also
d ew
c iticism
f om
withi
the
BJP,
with
vete a
pa ty
leade
Tathagata
Roy
u gi g
the
ce t al
leade ship
to
i te ve e.The
ema ks
have
si ce
escalated
i to
a
wide
political
ow,
with
fo me
CM
Ba e jee
accusi g
the
BJP
of
i sulti g
Netaji
a d
West
Be gal
Chief
Mi iste
Suve du
Adhika i
wa i g
that
a yo e
maki g
de ogato y
ema ks
about
the
f eedom
fighte
would
face
actio
u de
the
law.