# West Bengal revokes Banga Bibhushan from BJP MP Ananta Maharaj 2026-08-13T12:39:53+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The West Bengal government on Thursday withdrew the Banga Bibhushan, the state's highest civilian honour, from BJP Rajya Sabha MP Nagendra Roy, known as Ananta Maharaj. The move came a day after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered police to take action, including arrests, against those making derogatory remarks about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on social media. Ananta Maharaj had received the award from former chief minister Mamata Banerjee on February 21 for his work with the Rajbanshi community. The controversy erupted after he described Netaji as a war criminal and questioned his leadership of the Azad Hind Fauj in a July 19 meeting in Dinhata. Rajbanshi organisations and Forward Bloc condemned the remarks and demanded action. ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com - indiatvnews.com - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Ananta Maharaj, Banga Bibhushan, BJP, controversy, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, West Bengal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/west-bengal-revokes-banga-bibhushan-from-ananta-maharaj/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/west-bengal-revokes-banga-bibhushan-from-ananta-maharaj/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.