‘Want to stay in Bengal? You will have to sing Vande Mataram’ : Suvendu
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday turned the ongoing Jadavpur University row into a larger debate over nationalism, declaring that anyone living in the state would have to sing ‘Vande Mataram’.
Speaking at an Annapurna Yojana event in his Bhawanipur constituency, Adhikari said there would be "no compromise" on nationalism and patriotism in West Bengal.
His remarks came amid tensions at Jadavpur University following clashes between Left-leaning student groups and ABVP activists. Adhikari accused elements on the campus of being "anti-national" and alleged that they were opposed to the singing of ‘Vande Mataram’ and the hoisting of the national flag.
"If you want to stay in West Bengal, you will have to sing Vande Mataram," Adhikari said, asserting that his government would not compromise on what he described as nationalism and patriotism.
The chief minister also said his government would work to promote nationalism both inside and outside the university campus. He invoked the legacy of Syama Prasad Mookerjee and said his government would seek to establish what he described as Sanatani culture in the state.
Adhikari also targeted those he described as "tukde-tukde gangs" and "jihadis" at Jadavpur University, accusing them of preventing students from chanting ‘Vande Mataram’ or displaying the national flag.
The remarks come amid a wider political debate over the national song and its place in public institutions, with the issue becoming a recurring flashpoint between the BJP and its political opponents.
