Hailakandi (Assam): The Assam government has ordered an inquiry into allegations that the Bangladesh national anthem was sung during a Congress Seva Dal meeting in Sribhumi district, officials said on Wednesday.
A senior district official confirmed that oral instructions were received from Fisheries Minister Krishnendu Paul to investigate the matter.
“We have been asked to look into the incident and are verifying the details,” the official said.
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced on social media showing Congress workers at the party’s Indira Bhavan office in Sribhumi singing a few lines of “Amar Sonar Bangla”, the national anthem of Bangladesh, composed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore — who also wrote India’s national anthem.
Reacting to the viral clip, Minister Krishnendu Paul accused the Congress of showing “affection for a neighbouring country” and claimed the incident reflected the party’s “historical role” in the creation of Pakistan.
“The Congress gave birth to Pakistan, and Bangladesh was part of that. Now they are singing the Bangladesh national anthem to display their love for that nation,” Paul alleged.
He added that the district commissioner has been directed to verify the authenticity of the video and initiate legal action if the allegations are found true.
ALSO READ: Zubeen Garg’s ashes immersed in Brahmaputra; fans turn promoters for his final film
The Congress, however, dismissed the charges as politically motivated.
Sribhumi district Congress president Tapas Purkayastha said, “Don’t drag politics into the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore. Our pride, 85-year-old poet Vidhu Bhushan Das, sang only two lines from Tagore’s song. Criticising it is an insult to the poet himself.”
State Congress president Gaurav Gogoi also hit back at the BJP, accusing it of manufacturing controversies to divert public attention.
“The ruling party is trying to create unnecessary issues because it has nothing else to talk about,” Gogoi said.
