Speaking to reporters, Bhattacharya firmly said, “How many times must I say, brother? The name will be ‘Paschim Banga’.”
Earlier on Monday, the state BJP chief had asserted that alternative nomenclature would be done away with, stating that the formal transition to ‘Paschim Banga’ was imminent.
“Yes, absolutely. Paschim Banga Bhavan… West Bengal’s ‘Paschim’… For a long time now, you will no longer have to hear names like ‘Paschim Bangla’, ‘Bangla’, or ‘Banga’. ‘Paschim Banga’ (West Bengal) is coming,” Bhattacharya had told reporters.
Announcing that a legislative bill will soon be introduced to anchor the state’s identity to its history, he further said, “Very soon, in the very first session itself, our government is introducing a bill so that the name of this state remains intrinsically linked with the history of this state, and that remains its identity. That is why the state is going to be named ‘Paschim Banga’.”
Beyond the renaming issue, Bhattacharya also spoke on a wide range of political and policy matters, hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s address marking his 25 years as head of government.
“Across all administrative districts of India, Bharatiya Janata Party karyakartas, our well-wishers, and government officials gathered. The Prime Minister spoke from his heart. After his long journey of 25 years as head of administration, above all, what he conveyed is that his life is dedicated to this nation,” Bhattacharya said.”He spoke about Swami Vivekananda; he referenced Rishi Aurobindo. Overall, his immensely visionary address today will undoubtedly touch people across the entire country-not just our party workers-and will inspire them,” he added.
Asked whether the opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were intimidated by PM Modi’s public standing, the BJP leader dismissed the notion while taking a swipe at the opposition’s political strategy.
“Go ask him whether he is scared or not! We have nothing to fear, nor have we threatened or intimidated anyone. Rahul Gandhi isn’t a little child to be scared of ghosts,” Bhattacharya said. “The point is that at this moment, the opposition has no real ammunition. You cannot do politics for long by turning non-issues into issues… The young generation understands that over the next 20 years, there is no prospect of a change in government, whether at the Centre or in the state, because Narendra Modi has connected with the hopes and aspirations of the youth.”
Bhattacharya also strongly backed the Assam government’s decision to merge the State Madrasa Education Board with the School Service Commission, framing it as an essential step towards inclusive education under the New Education Policy.
“It is the right move. Across the nation, education must follow one common standard. That is our government’s policy; there was no hidden agenda,” he said. “Why should minority children lag? Why shouldn’t they have the opportunity to study science? Why shouldn’t they learn mathematics? Why should children from Muslim families be left behind from the mainstream of national life? Making education universal and inclusive is the vision of the central New Education Policy.”
