“Poila Baisakh” will be observed as Bengal Foundation Day, resolution passed in Bengal Assembly; it’s a resolution and not a Bill that would need Governor assent

“We will observe Poila Baisakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar as the state foundation day with or without the approval of the governor” Mamata Banerjee, Bengal CM lashed out at the BJP inside the state assembly after the BJP opposed the proposal and leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari going to the extent of threatening that “governor will not give his assent the resolution.” The BJP demanded that June 20 be made the Bengal Foundation Day stating the historic relevance of partition. Mamata Banerjee later clarified that it’s a resolution and not a bill and thus would need no assent or validation from the Governor. “As a courtesy, we will send the resolution to the Governor,” she quipped.

Ruling Trinamool Congress had proposed the day, Poila Baisakh for the same in the state assembly. “The need to have such a day arose after BJP and Central government had unilaterally issued a notification calling June 20 as the foundation day, for the first time last year without consulting with the state. We had written to the State governor urging him not to observe June 20 as the state foundation day. Thus if we do not come with another day, this distorted history will be institutionalised by BJP hurting the sentiments of lakhs of people who have been victims of the bloody separation”, said Mamata Banerjee.

Suvendu Adhikari, LoP while opposing the resolution called it whimsical a proposal with no relevance and insisted that June 20 be sealed as Bengal Foundation Day. He even warned if this resolution would meet the fate of previous resolutions similarly passed in the assembly and never got either the assent of the Governor or the Union Government. “We will meet the governor today. We want to see if this resolution will get approved. Like the state assembly had passed a resolution to change the name of the state from West Bengal to Bengal; like the resolution passed by the assembly against the BSF or the resolution for Bidhan Parishad and for that matter even the resolution passed against ED and CBI - they had no significance and this resolution too will get lost and have no meaning” said Suvendu Adhikari amidst chaos and sloganeering.

Mamata Banerjee strongly rebutted and thundered BJP “will stall the resolutions till they are in power but that’s not permanent”. While responding to Adhikari, she added “The day your government goes, we will get them through.”

The resolution was passed in voice voting but later put to division. Eventually, the resolution to observe the first day of the Bengali calendar, Poila Baisakh was passed with 167 votes in favour and 62 BJP votes against it. The lone MLA of ISF Nausad Siddiqui abstained from voting, he had proposed October 16 as a day to commemorate Bengal Foundation Day.

Mamata Banerjee had previously called for a meeting at the state secretariat inviting people from all walks of life, and opposition parties to draw a consensus on the date. BJP, Congress and the CPI(M) had skipped the meeting but the larger consensus at the meeting, however, was Poila Baisakh.