Suvendu Adhikari says Bengal must sing Vande Mataram, announces Annapurna Diwas on September 17

‘To stay in Bengal, one must have to sing Vande Mataram.’ With that assertion, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday turned a programme on the Annapurna Yojana into a wider political statement on nationalism, while announcing that West Bengal will observe ‘Annapurna Diwas’ on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17.

Adhikari said there would be ‘no compromise’ on nationalism and patriotism, while launching a sharp attack on what he described as anti-national elements at Jadavpur University.

He alleged that the national flag had not been hoisted on the campus, that the state Education Department had been denied entry and that CCTV cameras were not permitted to be installed there.

He also accused the ‘tukde-tukde gang’ and ‘jihadi’ elements of opposing the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ as well as the observance of Republic Day and Independence Day at the university.

‘Whatever a section of the media may write in support of those who are anti-national, we will establish nationalism inside and outside Jadavpur,’ Adhikari said.

The CM said his government had been formed to fulfil the vision of Syama Prasad Mookerjee and insisted that Jadavpur University must reflect nationalism, Indian culture and ‘Sanatan’ culture.

He also aimed at the Left, referring to its leaders as ‘Lal babus’ and claiming that their candidates had lost their electoral deposits in the Assembly polls earlier this year.

One lakh beneficiaries for Annapurna Diwas

Turning to the Annapurna Yojana, Adhikari announced that September 17 would be observed as ‘Annapurna Diwas’, with a rally of one lakh beneficiaries planned in Kolkata.

The announcement comes amid protests by women who have alleged that they have not received benefits under the scheme. Adhikari dismissed the protests as politically orchestrated by the Opposition and accused the media of amplifying them.

‘They can make reels for shock value and stage media trials by bringing out 20 people onto the streets, but such tactics will not work,’ he said.

The CM added that he would not ‘bow his head’ before people appearing in front of television cameras to lecture him.

Under the Annapurna scheme, beneficiaries receive Rs 3,000 every month.

CM Adhikari said that as many as 28 lakh beneficiaries received funds in June, with the number increasing to 1.19 crore in July and 1.45 crore in August.

He attributed the initial delay in disbursement to logistical difficulties in compiling beneficiary details.

Adhikari said 17,000 women in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency alone had benefited from the scheme.

Attack on Mamata Banerjee, comparison with Lakshmir Bhandar

The CM also used the occasion to target former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress government, accusing them of spreading ‘canards’ over the protests surrounding Annapurna.

The TMC had highlighted on social media the alleged suicide of a woman and sought to link the death to the rejection of her application for Annapurna benefits.

Adhikari, however, blamed the previous TMC government for what he described as ‘15 years of destruction’.

He accused Banerjee of damaging Bengal's industrial prospects, alleging that policies under her government drove the Nano project out of Singur and forced industries to leave the state.

He further alleged that TMC leaders had systematically ‘sold jobs’ and politicised recruitment by placing party cadres in key positions, thereby damaging the career prospects of Bengal's youth.

Adhikari also accused Banerjee of directly interfering in police functioning, alleging that she had personally visited Kalighat police station to secure the release of an accused person.

Comparing Annapurna with the previous government's Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, Adhikari alleged that the earlier initiative was implemented slowly and that its monthly benefit was increased ahead of elections, first to Rs 1,000 before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and later to Rs 1,500 before the 2026 Assembly polls.

He said his government would prioritise women who, according to him, had been excluded by the previous government for supporting the BJP, along with financially weak women who had allegedly been denied benefits on political grounds.

With Annapurna Diwas now slated for September 17, Adhikari's announcement places the welfare scheme and his government's nationalism plank at the centre of a major political mobilisation in Kolkata.