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West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday said his BJP-led government has no plans to rename the state “Bangla”, asserting that the existing name “Paschim Banga” is deeply rooted in the history of Partition and the state’s formation.
Adhikari said the government was neither interested in nor considering a change of the state’s name, stressing that removing “West Bengal” would risk erasing an important part of its history.
“The name West Bengal is associated with many things. If we remove it, much of that history will be erased,” he said.
The previous Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee had passed a resolution in the state Assembly proposing that West Bengal be renamed “Bangla” and sent the proposal to the Centre for approval. The proposal was not cleared by the central government, amid concerns that “Bangla” could create confusion with neighbouring Bangladesh, particularly at international forums.
The BJP government has now made clear that the state will continue to be known as West Bengal.
The government has also renamed the previous administration’s “Banglar Bari” housing scheme as “Paschim Banga Awas”, reinforcing its position on retaining the state’s existing name.
Separately, Adhikari announced that West Bengal will participate in the Centre’s “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign for the first time this year. The state government plans to distribute 70 lakh national flags ahead of Independence Day as part of the campaign.
