Now Reading: BJP says Bengal govt to bring bill for name change to ‘Paschim Bang’
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BJP says Bengal govt to bring bill for name change to ‘Paschim Bang’
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said on Monday, 5 October, that the state government will soon introduce a bill in the assembly to rename West Bengal as 'Paschim Bang'. He said the bill could be brought in the current session itself.
Speaking at a press conference about a proposed 'Paschim Bang Bhavan' in Varanasi, Bhattacharya said the cultural centre will be built with the state's culture and tourism department, the central government, and descendants of the royal family of Cooch Behar. It will also offer accommodation for tourists and pilgrims from Bengal.
Efforts to rename the state are not new. In 1999, the Jyoti Basu-led Left Front government proposed 'Paschim Bang'. The Mamata Banerjee government also pushed the idea in 2011. In 2018, the assembly passed a resolution to rename the state 'Bangla', but the Centre did not approve it, citing the need for a constitutional amendment.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both Aaj Tak and Bhaskar report the same announcement by BJP president Samik Bhattacharya that a bill to rename West Bengal as 'Paschim Bang' will be brought in the assembly soon. Both also note that similar attempts in 1999, 2011 and 2018 failed due to lack of central approval. The coverage is uniform straight reporting, with no discernible slant in either outlet. Aaj Tak leads with the Varanasi cultural centre plan, while Bhaskar places the name-change statement first. Neither source gives a timeline beyond the current session, leaving the bill's introduction and the required constitutional process as the concrete next step to watch.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): aajtak.in (neutral report), bhaskar.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
