Gaurav Gogoi defends congress leader amid anthem row, says BJP insulting Bengali culture and Tagore’s legacy

Responding to the controversy over a Congress leader allegedly singing Bangladesh’s national anthem during a party meeting, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has defended the act, saying the song was composed by Rabindranath Tagore and embodies the essence of Bengali culture.

“It is a song composed by Rabindranath Tagore and conveys the sentiments of Bengali culture. The BJP has always insulted the Bengali language, Bengali culture, and the people of Bengal,” Gogoi said.

He accused the BJP of showing ignorance about Tagore’s legacy, adding that the party’s IT cell has “repeatedly insulted the people of Bengal in the past.”

“The people of Bengal and Bengali-speaking communities across India have now realised that the BJP only uses them for votes,” the Congress MP added.

Also Read: Assam govt orders probe after Congress leader allegedly sings Bangladesh anthem at party meet

The remarks come after a video from a Congress Seva Dal meeting in Sribhumi district went viral, showing senior party leader and poet Vidhu Bhushan Das singing a few lines of Amar Sonar Bangla, Bangladesh’s national anthem written by Tagore — a song also considered part of the broader Bengali literary and cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, the Assam government has ordered an inquiry after a video showing a Congress leader singing Bangladesh’s national anthem, Amar Sonar Bangla, during a party meeting in Sribhumi district went viral, sparking a political row.

The incident reportedly occurred on October 27 during a Congress Seva Dal meeting held at Indira Bhavan, the party’s district office in Sribhumi town. The anthem was sung by Vidhu Bhushan Das, an 85-year-old Congress leader and poet, who rendered two lines from the song written by Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel laureate who also composed India’s national anthem.

Following the video’s circulation, Assam Fishery Minister Krishnendu Paul directed the district administration to initiate an inquiry. “We have received oral instructions from the minister to look into the matter and confirm the facts,” a senior district official told PTI.