Ranchi, Sep 20: Members of the Bengali community held a protest here, demanding the resignation and arrest of the BJP's Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal, Nagendranath Roy, for his alleged derogatory remarks against Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji took part in the protest rally from Ranchi's Lalpur Chowk to the Union Club at Tharpakhna Road, and said the Bengali community would not tolerate any insult to Netaji.
Roy, also known as 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 West Bengal and is a leader of the Rajbanshi community.
Offended by the remarks, a large number of people from the Bengali community under the banner of Bangla Sanskritik Karmibrindo took out a rally, singing songs by Rabindranath Tagore. A vintage car, reportedly used by Bose in 1940 to attend a meeting in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district, was the highlight of the protest march.
"The BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Anant Maharaj repeatedly made derogatory remarks against Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, calling him a war criminal and questioning the Azad Hind Fauj. The Bengali community of Ranchi will not tolerate the insult of Netaji," Maji said.
Subir Lahiri, the convener of the rally, said their protest will continue until Roy is arrested and he resigns from the MP post..
In the wake of the derogatory remarks, West Bengal's BJP government last month withdrew and annulled Banga Bibhushan, the state’s highest civilian award, bestowed upon Roy.
Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had 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.
