TMC demands apology after BJP MP ‘butchers’ Matangini Hazra’s name in Parliament

Kolkata: A day after BJP MP Anurag Thakur referred to the national song “Vande Mataram” as “Vande Bharat” during his speech in the Parliament, another BJP MP Dinesh Sharma took his comments a notch higher by claiming that freedom fighter Matangini Hazra was a Muslim. Condemning the remarks made by Sharma in the Rajya Sabha, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday alleged that the BJP MP stood in the Parliament and “butchered” the name of Matangini Hazra, exposing BJP’s “chronic deep-seated disconnect” from Bengal in a single “shameful moment”.

Sharma’s remark triggered a political row with Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh demanding an apology from the saffron party for the “unfortunate” and “irresponsible” statement. “Matangini Hazra is a martyr who received bullets on her chest during Quit India movement. She is a symbol of Mother India. How can the BJP raise a question if she was a Muslim or a Hindu. A BJP MP has referred to Hazra as Muslim. BJP is introducing the great freedom fighter to us. BJP should tender an apology for this,” Ghosh said.