Bangladesh national anthem sung at Congress meet in Assam, BJP lashes out

A major row has erupted in Assam after Bangladesh’s national anthem, “Amar Sonar Bangla,” was sung at a Congress meeting in Karimganj district. The state's ruling BJP has accused the Congress of creating a “Greater Bangladesh” vote-bank agenda.

A video of the incident, which took place during a meeting of the Congress Seva Dal in Sribhumi town on Monday, has gone viral, triggering a political furore, with many online users also criticising the party.

Assam Minister Ashok Singhal shared the video on X, condemning the Congress for allowing the singing of the national anthem of a “country that seeks to separate the northeast from India.”

"Now it’s clear why Congress, for decades, allowed and encouraged illegal Miya infiltration into Assam – to change the state’s demography for vote-bank politics, creating a 'Greater Bangladesh'," he claimed.

On its part, the BJP unit in Assam called Congress "Bangladesh-obsessed."

"Just days ago, Bangladesh dared to publish a map swallowing the entire northeast and now the Bangladesh-obsessed Congress is proudly singing Bangladesh’s national anthem right here in Assam. If, after this, someone still can’t see the agenda at play, then they’re either blind, complicit or both," it said in a post on X.

The party’s reference to the “map swallowing the entire northeast” pertained to a recent incident in which Bangladesh’s interim chief Muhammad Yunus gifted a visiting Pakistani general a book whose cover featured a controversial map showing Assam and other northeastern states as part of Bangladesh.

The video received immense backlash on social media, with many urging the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government to take action against the Congress.

"Not a law student, but even common sense says this is treason. If true, these people have no right to live under the Indian flag — hope the government acts fast and sets an example," one user tweeted.

Another person said, "Shame on them... having a different ideology is OK, but this is not acceptable."

While one user accused the Congress of "standing with anything against the country," another alleged that the party "wants to turn Assam into Bangladesh and it's the proof."

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