The West Bengal Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution by a majority vote declaring 'Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year Day)' as the Statehood Day.
It was also decided that the famous song 'Banglar Mati, Banglar Jol (Bengal’s soil, Bengal’s water)' penned by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore will be the State Song, on the line of National Song.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that even if Governor C.V. Ananda Bose refused to clear the proposal, the day will be celebrated as per the resolution.
"Poila Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar, is considered an extremely auspicious day. The state government consulted several acclaimed persons on this matter and the majority of them voiced in favour of celebrating 'Poila Boishakh' as the Statehood Day for West Bengal. I do not care even if the Governor does not clear the resolution. We will celebrate it as the Statehood Day,” the Chief Minister said while participating in a debate on the resolution.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said ideally June 20 should be declared as the Statehood Day for West Bengal, since on June 20, 1947 was officially declared as an integral part of the state.
“There is no scientific justification for declaring 'Poila Boishakh' as the Statehood Day. So the fate of the resolution will be the same as similar resolutions moved by the state government on issues like change of state's name or formation of legislative council or the one relating to the replacement of the Governor with the chief minister as the chancellors of state universities,” he said. The BJP opposed the resolution.
The lone All India Secular Front (AISF) representative in the Assembly, Naushad Siddique questioned whether declaration of 'Poila Boishakh' as the Statehood is to cover up the innumerable incidents of corruption that have marred the image of the state nationally.
The Governor this year celebrated West Bengal Foundation Day within the Governor’s House premises, which resulted into a tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the State Secretariat. The Governor faced scathing criticism from the chief minister for his decision.
No nuclear signalling by Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor’, Parliamentary panel told: Sources
In a crucial security and foreign policy briefing, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs was informed that there was no nuclear signalling from Pakistan during the recent military standoff following Operation Sindoor, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Cancer touches us all, says Joe Biden after being diagnosed with 'aggressive' form of disease
Former US President Joe Biden on Monday released his first statement hours after his office announced that he has been diagnosed with a relatively aggressive form of prostate cancer.
India’s foodgrain production jumps 6.8 pc to surpass 1,663.9 lakh tonnes in FY25
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Monday that India's foodgrain production has increased by over 106 lakh tonnes to 1,663.91 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, which represents a 6.83 per cent increase over the corresponding figure of the previous year.
Survey seeks public opinion on name 'Operation Sindoor', a resounding yes is the answer
The Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the barbaric and savage act of terror in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, has found near-unanimous support from the countrymen, not just for its targeted and precise military strikes but also over its nomenclature.
Fear grips Pakistan as Lashkar terrorists are gunned down one after another in Sindh province
A leading Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Abdul Wahid Kumbho was shot dead before top LeT terrorist Razaullah Nizamani Khalid, also known as Abu Saifullah Khalid, was killed by armed men in Sindh province on Sunday, local sources confirmed on Monday.
Col Sofiya Qureshi remarks: SC orders formation of SIT, stays arrest of MP Minister
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the charges against Madhya Pradesh Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah, facing legal heat over his controversial remarks on Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
Arrested ex-UCO Bank chief got illegal gratification in loan fraud case, says ED
Subodh Kumar Goel, the former chairman and managing director (CMD) of Kolkata-headquartered public sector commercial bank, UCO Bank, who was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week, received “illegal gratification” from a corporate entity which was the principal beneficiary in a bank loan forgery case.
Cash at judge's residence: SC agrees to list plea seeking FIR against Justice Varma
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list for urgent hearing a plea seeking criminal prosecution of Justice Yashwant Varma, who is embroiled in a controversy surrounding the alleged discovery of a huge pile of burnt cash in the storeroom attached to his bungalow in the national capital after the fire brigade had gone there to douse a blaze on March 14.