A 74-year-old Congress worker in Assam has found himself at the centre of a political storm after singing a line from Rabindranath Tagore's famous song during a party meeting. Bidhu Bhushan Das hummed "Amar Sonar Bangla, ami tomay bhalobasi" at a Congress Seva Dal event in Sribhumi district, which was captured on video. The Assam BJP and state ministers criticized the act, claiming it was the Bangladesh national anthem. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed police action against the district Congress committee, calling it disrespect to India. Das, a lifelong Seva Dal volunteer, expressed bewilderment at the controversy. He explained that he learned the song as a child and was paying tribute to Tagore and Bengal. The song, written by Tagore in 1905 during the Partition of Bengal, was adopted by Bangladesh as its anthem in 1971.
Song Learned in Childhood, Says Congress Worker
Das stated he learned the song during his school days and has cherished it ever since. The meeting began with Vande Mataram and ended with the Indian national anthem. When invited to speak, he referenced Tagore and recited the line as homage to the poet and Bengal. Local academics noted that singing this Tagore composition is common in the Bengali-speaking Barak Valley region. District Congress president Tapash Purkayastha defended Das, describing him as one of the most elderly active workers who served as Bhanga panchayat president in the 1980s. Purkayastha said Das's recitation was being deliberately distorted for political purposes.
Source: Link