BJP observes 'Bengal's Mother Tongue Day' in memory of Daribhit students

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh described the Mamata Banerjee government as “anti-Bengali language” and “jihadi”, claiming that the clash happened as students of a school in Daribhit sought Bengali teachers while the state government appointed Urdu teachers for them. The ruling Trinamool Congress said that International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21 and accused the saffron party of “doing cheap, divisive politics” over the death of two youths.

The BJP on Sunday observed what it called "Bengal's Mother Tongue Day" in memory of two young men who were killed in a clash with the police over recruitment of teachers in Uttar Dinajpur district on this day in 2018. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh described the Mamata Banerjee government as “anti-Bengali language” and “jihadi”, claiming that the clash happened as students of a school in Daribhit sought Bengali teachers while the state government appointed Urdu teachers for them.

The ruling Trinamool Congress said that International Mother Language Day is observed on February 21 and accused the saffron party of “doing cheap, divisive politics” over the death of two youths. International Mother Language day is celebrated on February 21 to pay tribute to four university students who were killed in police firing in Dhaka in erstwhile Pakistan on that day in 1952. While the government wanted Urdu as the sole national language, the students demanded that Bengali should also be declared as second such language.

The state government maintained that the clash that occurred in front of Daribhit High School over appointment of two teachers of Urdu and Sanskrit, which was resented by its students as they wanted English teachers. BJP leaders have claimed that Tapas Barman and Rajesh Sarkar, two former students of the school who were pursuing polytechnic courses at that time, were killed in police firing, but the state government denied that.

"Today is Mother Tongue Day for Bengal. Let's pay tribute to the two young men who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Bengali language," Ghosh said in a Facebook post, attaching an image of Barman and Sarkar. "The anti-Bengali language Mamata Banerjee government and her jihadi administration will not be spared when the BJP comes to power," Ghosh said.

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