A political controversy has erupted in West Bengal after Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya mispronounced the name of the iconic Kolkata football club Mohun Bagan during a press conference. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, has drawn sharp criticism from the state's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of disrespecting Bengali culture and identity.
The 'Baigan' Blunder and Immediate Fallout
During the press meet where he announced the start date for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season, Mansukh Mandaviya struggled to correctly pronounce "Mohun Bagan." The minister eventually uttered a word that sounded remarkably like "baigan," which is the Hindi term for eggplant or brinjal. A clip of this mispronunciation quickly went viral on social media platforms, becoming a subject of widespread online trolling and memes.
The minister had announced that the ISL would commence on February 14, a Saturday, and confirmed that all 14 clubs had agreed to participate in the league this season. He emphasized the league's role in developing football in the country, stating, "In the country, football has progressed. In football, the country performs well. Through the League, the country gets good players. With this aim, the ISL league will be held." However, his subsequent error in pronouncing the historic club's name overshadowed the sporting announcement.
TMC's Sharp Retort on Social Media
The Trinamool Congress did not hold back in its response. On Wednesday, the party took to X (formerly Twitter) to mock the Union minister and frame the incident as symptomatic of the BJP's attitude towards Bengal.
In a strongly-worded post, the TMC stated, "The Union Sports Minister has, once again, revealed the deep-seated contempt the BJP harbours towards Bengal. He mangled the names of our most revered football institutions, referring to the legendary Mohun Bagan as 'Mohan baigan' and the iconic East Bengal as 'East baigan'."
The party elaborated on the cultural significance of the clubs, writing, "For Bengalis, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are symbols of identity and pride. We have lived and breathed this beautiful game for over a century, celebrating victories with the same fervor as festivals and mourning defeats as personal loss."
Accusations of 'Bangla-Birodhi' Arrogance
Escalating its attack, the TMC accused the rival BJP of viewing Bengal through a "lens of Bangla-Birodhi arrogance," a term implying opposition to Bengali interests. The party claimed that for the BJP, anything associated with Bengal "merits only mockery and dismissal."
"Yet, those who view Bengal through the lens of Bangla-Birodhi arrogance cannot even extend the basic courtesy of pronouncing these sacred names correctly. Why would they? In their eyes, anything associated with Bengal merits only mockery and dismissal," the TMC's post concluded.
This incident has added fuel to the already heated political atmosphere in the poll-bound state of West Bengal. Football, particularly the historic rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, is deeply intertwined with the social and cultural fabric of the region. The TMC's reaction aims to portray the BJP as an outsider party insensitive to local sentiment and pride, a potent charge in the context of state politics.
