The Governor of West Bengal, C.V. Ananda Bose, hosted the State’s ‘Foundation Day’ program on June 20, which was met with objections from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Despite the objections, the Governor hosted a cultural program at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, where he expressed ‘zero tolerance’ for violence and highlighted the importance of voter rights for the common people. However, no representative of the State Government attended the event.
President Draupadi Murmu also congratulated the people of West Bengal on its Foundation Day on June 20.
Chief Minister Banerjee said in a letter to Mr. Bose that she was shocked by his unilateral decision to commemorate the State’s Foundation Day, asserting that it was not founded on any particular day, least of all on the 20th of June. She also mentioned the partition, which caused the uprooting of millions of people across the border, resulting in death and displacement of countless families.
On June 20, 1947, two meetings of separate sets of legislators were held in the Bengal Assembly. Legislators who wanted West Bengal as part of India voted in favor of the resolution by a majority, while the other meeting was for legislators of areas that would become East Pakistan.
The Governor’s decision to host the program despite objections from the Chief Minister has created controversy in West Bengal. Nonetheless, the Governor expressed his dedication to the well-being and welfare of the people of West Bengal and highlighted the immense potential of the State.
