West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Union government of showing disrespect to national icons, alleging an attempt to recast the country’s historical narrative for political ends. Speaking at a programme marking the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Kolkata, Banerjee said figures such as Netaji, Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar were being diminished through selective remembrance and ideological reinterpretation.Addressing a gathering that included students, veterans of the freedom movement and cultural organisations, Banerjee framed her remarks as a defence of pluralism in historical memory. She argued that the legacy of the independence struggle belonged to the people and could not be filtered through partisan lenses. According to her, the freedom movement was a collective effort shaped by diverse ideologies and leaders, and any attempt to elevate one strand while marginalising others amounted to an insult to the nation’s founders.
The chief minister focused particularly on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose birth anniversary is observed in the state with official programmes and public events. She said Bose represented courage, sacrifice and a willingness to challenge colonial authority in all its forms, adding that his contributions could not be reduced to ceremonial references or political slogans. Banerjee alleged that official commemorations at the national level had failed to reflect the full complexity of Bose’s ideas and actions, thereby weakening public understanding of his role.
Turning to Mahatma Gandhi, Banerjee said the principles of non-violence and inclusivity associated with the leader were being eroded by divisive rhetoric. She accused those in power of paying lip service to Gandhi while promoting policies and narratives that, in her view, ran counter to his philosophy. On Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Constitution, Banerjee said his vision of social justice and constitutional morality was being selectively cited without adequate commitment to its substance.
The remarks come amid a broader political contest over historical interpretation, with competing narratives emerging around the freedom movement, the role of revolutionary leaders and the ideological foundations of the republic. In several states, debates over textbooks, memorials and official commemorations have become flashpoints, drawing reactions from historians and civil society groups concerned about academic autonomy and factual integrity.
Banerjee’s intervention also reflects the sharpening of political lines ahead of key electoral battles. West Bengal has often positioned itself as a custodian of alternative historical perspectives, particularly regarding revolutionary movements in eastern India. The Trinamool Congress leadership has sought to contrast its approach with that of the BJP, which emphasises a nationalist framework rooted in cultural and civilisational themes.
Leaders of the BJP dismissed Banerjee’s allegations as politically motivated, asserting that the Union government had taken steps to honour national icons through memorials, anniversaries and educational initiatives. Party representatives said efforts to highlight neglected figures and events were intended to broaden historical awareness rather than distort it. They accused the chief minister of attempting to politicise national symbols to consolidate her support base.
Historians observing the debate note that Bose, Gandhi and Ambedkar occupy distinct yet interconnected places in the national story, and that tensions arise when their legacies are mobilised for contemporary politics. Academic assessments stress that Bose’s revolutionary nationalism, Gandhi’s mass mobilisation through non-violence and Ambedkar’s constitutionalism together shaped the trajectory of independence and nation-building. Reducing these legacies to simplified binaries, scholars argue, risks obscuring the complexities of the period.