Trinamool slams BJP over National Anthem gaffe

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday vehemently criticised the BJP for singing the National Anthem wrongly stating that it is "shameful" on the part of a party that "preaches patriotism and nationalism."

Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress MP and president of Trinamool Youth Congress, tweeted: "Those preaching about Patriotism and Nationalism can't even sing our National Anthem correctly. This is the party

which claims to uphold India's honour and pride! SHAMEFUL!" Condemning the "disrespect to the National Anthem" and calling it an "anti-national" act, Banerjee also asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union Home minister Amit Shah and the BJP would apologise for the same.

"Will @narendramodi @AmitShah @BJP4India

apologise for this "Anti-National" Act? #BJPInsultsNationalAnthem," Banerjee further stated in his tweet that also contains a video clip of the National Anthem being sung incorrectly.

The National Anthem was sung incorrectly at the BJP's programme at Dumurjala in Howrah, where senior leaders of the party including Smritri Irani, union minister for Textiles and Women and Child Development, deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya and the state BJP president Dilip Ghosh were

present. Most importantly, Shah was addressing the programme virtually.

The BJP MP from Hooghly, Locket Chatterjee, who announced names of the speakers in the entire programme, was joined by the party's leader and former IPS officer

Bharati Ghosh to sing the National Anthem on the microphone. Instead of saying "Jana gana mangala dayaka jaya hey", they repeated the first line of the National Anthem ('Jana gana mana adhinayak jaya hey') in its

place.

Meanwhile, various political leaders have also criticized the saffron party for wrongful rendition of the National Anthem.

It may be mentioned that controversy had cropped up when the party's national president had stated that Viswa Bharati was Rabindranath Tagore's birth place during his visit to Bengal a few months ago.

TMC had launched a scathing attack stating it to be an insult to Tagore. Again, the saffron brigade is facing the wrath of the ruling party in the state for the 'insult' to the

National Anthem, composed by Tagore.

Controversy was triggered when posters, containing a photograph of Shah placed above Tagore, were spotted prior to the union Home minister's visit to

Shantiniketan.