BJP's Malviya Challenges Mamata, Defends Delhi Police Amid Linguistic Row

Amidst ongoing controversy, BJP leader Amit Malviya has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of inciting linguistic tensions following her criticism of the Delhi Police. The dispute arose after the police allegedly referred to Bengali as a 'Bangladeshi language' in their documentation. Malviya insists the police did not intend to disparage Bangla and instead used 'Bangladeshi' to describe dialects familiar among infiltrators from Bangladesh.

Malviya argued that the characterization by Delhi Police was necessary to identify illegal immigrants, asserting that there is significant linguistic diversity between the dialects used in Bangladesh and those in India. He emphasized the diversity in speech patterns, including variations like Sylheti, which differ greatly from Indian Bengali dialects.

His statements counter Mamata Banerjee's remarks accusing the Delhi Police of disrespecting the Bengali language. Meanwhile, voices like CPI(M)'s Mohammed Salim joined the debate, questioning Delhi Police's awareness of linguistic nuances and challenging their approach to the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

(With inputs from agencies.)