West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, asked for an apology from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of disrespecting the revered Bengali novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by referring to him as “Bankim da.”
Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee said, “You did not even show him the minimum respect he deserves. You should apologise for this, to the nation.” She pointed out that the Prime Minister, who was not even born at the time of India’s Independence, had addressed one of Bengal’s greatest cultural figures casually.
Background of ‘Bankim da’ Controversy
The controversy began when PM Modi referred to Chattopadhyay during a Lok Sabha discussion on Monday December 8, 2025, to mark 150 years of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ penned by the novelist. TMC MP Saugata Roy promptly took objection to the use of the informal suffix “da” and suggested that the Prime Minister should instead say “Bankim Babu.”
PM Modi’s Response on ‘Bankim da’ Controversy
Modi sportingly accepted the correction and, in jest, asked if he could still address Roy as “dada,” thereby lightening the mood in the House. Political Fallout: Even as the speeches were amiable in tone within Parliament, the TMC leaders, led by Mamata Banerjee herself, escalated the criticism outside. She demanded an apology, terming the remark “insulting and patronising.” For their part, the BJP accused the TMC of undermining Bengal’s cultural heritage over the last ten years, making what was essentially a linguistic issue into a wider political battle ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election.
