Netaji row escalates as Mamata Banerjee targets BJP, seeks public protests

'It is an insult not only to Bengal but to the whole country.' With those words, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the BJP on Tuesday, accusing the party of dishonouring Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and calling on people to unite in protest against what she described as repeated insults to the freedom fighter's legacy.

Speaking during a Facebook Live session, Banerjee said she was 'aghast' at the manner in which BJP leaders had spoken about Netaji, adding that the remarks had deeply hurt the sentiments of people across the country.

'I am deeply disappointed and heartbroken at the way Netaji Subhas Bose is being insulted. It is an insult not only to Bengal but to the whole country. I urge the people to come together and protest against the insult that is being meted out to Netaji,' she said.

Her remarks came a day after Netaji's grandnephew, Chandra Kumar Bose, resigned from the Trinamool Congress, saying he was 'disillusioned' with mainstream politics and claiming he saw 'no difference' between the BJP and the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

The controversy stems from recent comments made by West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya, who criticised the Forward Bloc, the political party founded by Netaji, referring to its members as 'goons' while speaking about the ideological differences between Bose and Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

The remarks triggered criticism from opposition parties as well as sections of Bose's family, who termed them disrespectful.

The BJP, however, has rejected allegations of insulting Netaji, maintaining that the debate revolves around political differences and does not amount to an attack on the freedom fighter's legacy.

During the same address, Banerjee also voiced support for the Gen-Z movement, alleging that young people who protested over examination irregularities were being labelled anti-national, subjected to harassment and that even their families were being threatened.

She further claimed that several thousand TMC workers had been jailed in West Bengal after the election results and alleged that the BJP had 'turned the entire state into a mega prison.'

Without naming individuals, Banerjee also alleged that TMC MPs and MLAs were being pressured by the police to switch allegiance to the BJP or face imprisonment.

'The police are coercing them to either join the BJP or face imprisonment. Does this job fall under the purview of the police?' she asked.