West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that an “understanding” between the BJP and the CPI(M) helped Kerala get a new name, while accusing the Centre of repeatedly ignoring her government’s proposals to name the state ‘Bangla’. Her remarks came after the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the proposal to alter the name of Kerala to Keralam.
Congratulating the people of Kerala on the development, Banerjee said in a statement that the names of several states have been changed once such proposals were endorsed by the respective state governments.
“However, the same has not been the case with West Bengal,” she said, alleging that the Centre is not approving the proposal since “they are anti-Bengali”.
The Trinamool Congress supremo alleged that an understanding between the CPI(M), the ruling party of the southern state, and the BJP helped Kerala in getting the new name.
“Kerala has been renamed since there is an alliance growing between the BJP and the CPI(M). The alliance is no longer unwritten after today. Why will Bengal always face deprivation? One day, you (BJP) will not be in power. We will get the name changed,” she said in the statement.Banerjee said her government had passed resolutions in the state assembly twice seeking to rename West Bengal.The assembly in August 2016 passed a resolution to change the name to Bengal in English, Bangla in Bengali and Bangal in Hindi.