Kolkata: The BJP government in West Bengal on Thursday withdrew and annulled Banga Bibhushan, the state’s highest civilian award, previously bestowed upon the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Nagendranath Roy aka Ananta Maharaj, in the wake of his alleged derogatory remarks about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Citing subsequent facts and circumstances, the government said retaining the honour was inconsistent with its dignity, prestige and purpose, and that its revocation came into effect immediately.
The move came less than a day after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed the police to take stringent action, including arrests, against those making derogatory remarks about Netaji on social media, and said the law would apply equally to MPs, MLAs and government officials.
Adhikari’s direction to the police came days after Ananta Maharaj described Netaji as a “war criminal” and questioned his leadership and the role of the Azad Hind Fauj in India’s freedom struggle. Roy hails from Cooch Behar in the northern part of the state and is a leader of the Rajbanshi community.
Claiming that Netaji “did not have the capability to organise and raise an army like the Azad Hind Fauj”, Roy had said that the army was actually a unit of British-Indian soldiers handed over by Germany and that Bose had “misused the INA”.
The award revocation move, in the aftermath of the derogatory remarks made against Netaji, came amid the Bengal government taking down 108 social media posts in connection with the row.
Some six FIRs were registered across the state in the last 24 hours and one person was arrested from the Islampur area of Uttar Dinajpur district in this connection, police said. Roy was bestowed with the honour by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee on February 21, this year during an International Mother Language Day ceremony in Kolkata. The MP was felicitated with the award for his “efforts towards the socio-economic development” of the Rajbanshis community.
“Subsequent to the conferment of the honour, certain facts and circumstances which have arisen/subsequently come to the notice of the Government are considered to be of such nature and seriousness as to raise a question as to the continued retention of the aforesaid honour by Shri Nagendra Roy alias Ananta Maharaj and as to whether such continued retention is consistent with the dignity, presitige and purpose of the honour,” the annulment order of the state Information and Cultural Affairs Department said.
The award is given in recognition of distinguished and exemplary contribution to the state and its people and carries with it a high degree of dignity and prestige, the government statement said.
The order, though, did not specifically mention the particular offence committed by Roy that warranted the annulment of the honour.
Interestingly, Roy stuck to his ground on Thursday, saying his observations about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were matters of public record.
