A political controversy has erupted in Assam after a video surfaced purportedly showing members of the Congress Seva Dal singing Bangladesh’s national anthem at a meeting in Sribhumi district. The state government has ordered a probe into the incident, directing officials to verify the authenticity of the footage and take action if necessary.
District officials confirmed that Fishery Minister Krishnendu Paul had issued oral instructions to initiate an inquiry. “We have received oral instructions from Fishery Minister Krishnendu Paul to enquire into the matter and are looking into the issue now,” said a senior officer of the district administration.
The incident allegedly occurred on Tuesday during a Congress Seva Dal gathering at Indira Bhavan, the party’s district office. Proceedings reportedly began with two lines of ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’, the national anthem of Bangladesh written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who also penned India’s national anthem.
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As the video circulated on social media, Paul accused the Congress of “showing love for the neighbouring country”. He claimed, “The Congress gave birth to Pakistan, and Bangladesh was a part of that country. The national anthem of Bangladesh was sung by the Congress to show their love for the neighbouring country.” The minister said instructions had been issued to the district commissioner to take legal action once the facts were confirmed.
The Congress leadership has dismissed the allegation as politically motivated. Sribhumi district Congress president Tapas Purkayastha said, “Don’t indulge in politics with Rabindranath Tagore. Our pride, 85-year-old poet Vidhu Bhushan Das, sang only two lines of the song. Criticising this song means insulting Rabindranath Tagore.”
Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi also hit back, accusing the ruling BJP of deliberately fuelling “unnecessary controversy” to divert public attention. “The BJP is creating unnecessary controversy as it has no other issue to divert people's attention,” Gogoi said.
The episode has quickly turned into a fresh flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, with both parties trading barbs over national identity and political intent.
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