Kolkata, Dec 8 (NationPress) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her disapproval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments in the Lok Sabha concerning the selection of a particular segment of the renowned Bengali author Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Vande Mataram as the Indian National Song, asserting that the BJP was unduly politicizing the issue.

“It was Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore who recognized the segment of Vande Mataram for the National Song. The BJP has objections even to that. They oppose everything. Sometimes they challenge Gurudev, and at other times they question Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose,” the Chief Minister remarked to reporters at Kolkata Airport before departing for Cooch Behar, where she is set to lead an administrative review meeting.

Previously, PM Modi, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in the Lok Sabha, launched a pointed critique against the Congress, accusing the party of dividing the national song under pressure from the Muslim League and “kneeling before them.”

He stated, “As we commemorate 150 years of Vande Mataram, we must inform new generations of the truth—that the Congress once fractured this hymn, yielding to the pressure of the Muslim League and its enduring appeasement policy. This must never be allowed to happen again,” PM Modi proclaimed, calling on Parliament to reinstate pride in the song that once unified the country against colonial oppression.

During the event, the Chief Minister also explained her absence from the 'Panch Lakho Konthe Gita Path (Gita chanting by five lakh voices)' gathering at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on Sunday, despite receiving an invitation.

“That gathering was merely a BJP event in disguise. How could I participate? I would have gladly attended had it been a neutral event. However, I cannot support a program organized by those who consistently insult Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Raja Ram Mohan Roy,” she stated.

On the recent IndiGo flight chaos, the Chief Minister blamed the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation for the passengers' distress. “I have observed that travelers are enduring significant hardships due to the flight crisis over the last few days. The Union government is accountable for this. There was an utter lack of planning. I believe it is the passengers' right to approach the court over the difficulties they are encountering,” she said.

She further questioned the advice given to passengers to seek alternative travel options. “How can that be feasible? The Union Government led by the BJP does not consider the common populace. They only focus on electoral outcomes,” the Chief Minister remarked.