At a recent Durand Cup fixture, East Bengal supporters voiced a political message that sparked conversations well beyond the boundaries of the football field. While East Bengal FC clinched a 1-0 win over Namdhari FC in their Group A encounter, it was the message from the crowd that truly stood out.

Fans in the stands displayed a banner that read: “We were hanged to free India that day, and today for speaking our mother tongue, we’re Bangladeshi?”

This bold statement came amidst a brewing controversy over the treatment of the Bengali language in an official communication, which has drawn widespread condemnation.

On Sunday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the Delhi Police for allegedly referring to Bengali as the “Bangladeshi national language” in a formal letter linked to a Foreigners Act investigation. Banerjee described the terminology as “insulting, anti-national, and unconstitutional”.

The letter was sent to the officer-in-charge of Banga Bhawan, West Bengal’s official guest house in Delhi, seeking a translator after eight individuals were arrested for allegedly entering India illegally from Bangladesh.

Sharing the letter on her official Facebook page, Banerjee expressed deep anger over the mischaracterisation of Bengali and criticised Delhi Police, which functions under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

“See now how Delhi police under the direct control of Ministry of Home, Government of India is describing Bengali as " Bangladeshi" language!” she wrote.

Banerjee underlined that Bengali is not just her mother tongue, but the language of eminent cultural figures such as Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda. She further pointed out that India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ by Tagore and the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay were both penned in Bengali.

She questioned how a language spoken by crores of Indians and the language which is sanctified and recognised by the Constitution of India, is now described as a Bangladeshi language!!

“The language in which crores of Indians speak and write, the language which is sanctified and recognised by the Constitution of India, is now being described as a Bangladeshi language!!” she remarked.

“Scandalous, insulting, anti-national, unconstitutional!! This insults all Bengali-speaking people of India. They cannot use this kind of language, which degrades and debases us all. We urge immediate, strongest possible protests from all against the anti-Bengali Government of India, who are using such anti-Constitutional language to insult and humiliate the Bengali-speaking people of India,” she added.

The Trinamool Congress also released the contentious letter on its official social media account on X (formerly Twitter), further fuelling the debate.