On Wednesday, it was reported widely that ‘Bangladeshi’ actress Anju Ghosh had joined the BJP in Kolkata. It was also reported that she refused to answer questions on her citizenship status.
West Bengal: Bangladeshi Actress Anju Ghosh joined BJP in presence of state party president Dilip Ghosh in Kolkata, earlier today. When she was asked about her present citizenship, she denied to speak. pic.twitter.com/QfH3TaLP8b
— ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2019
Breaking her reported silence over the issue, Anju has now said that she was born in India, has an Indian passport, and she works in both India as Bangladesh.
Ghosh said, “I was born in Bengal and worked in Bengali film industry and as well as in Bangladesh. I have an Indian passport and a voter ID card.”https://t.co/P6kZst8uQ2
— News18.com (@news18dotcom) June 6, 2019
Today, state BJP President Dilip Ghosh produced her birth certificate on Twitter to prove that the actress is indeed Indian.
Srmt. Anju Ghosh has recently joined our BJP. It has created some ripples and questions about her citizenship status. She is an Indian citizen and to rest all doubts, her “Birth Certificate” is the proof of her nationality. pic.twitter.com/mOwtMRryZh
— Dilip Ghosh (@DilipGhoshBJP) June 6, 2019
The birth certificate, issued by the Health Department of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, shows that Anju Ghosh was born at East End Nursing Home in Kolkata. The date of birth is 17th September, 1966 while the date of registration is the 22nd of December, 2003.
Various news outlets had reported the actress to be Bangladeshi as well.
#NewsAlert — Anju Ghosh, a Bangladeshi film actress joined @BJP4India today. She was handed over BJP flag by state president @DilipGhoshBJP. pic.twitter.com/AdBtIEdTdr
— News18 (@CNNnews18) June 5, 2019
Barely two months after the involvement of Bangladeshi actors in electoral processes in India triggered a massive row in West Bengal, an actress from across the border on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.https://t.co/IUj3KjP7lH
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 5, 2019
Politicians and people on social media had used Anju Ghosh’s inclusion in the BJP to target the party as well.
Will her name be there in NRC? Is she also a termite as per @AmitShah’s claims? Will Ajay Bisht campaign against her in West Bengal assembly elections?
Don’t know who’s more shameless, BJP leaders or its supporters!https://t.co/Q21utJLaB5
— Md Salim (@salimdotcomrade) June 5, 2019
Ferdous Ahmed, a Bangladeshi Actor campaigns for TMC*
Media: This is Appeasement, Shame on Didi,Why so much love for Bangladeshi
Anju Ghosh, a Bangladeshi actress joins BJP today*
Media: MastrStoke,What an Inclusive Step, this is how we treat our Neighbour,Dil jeet liya Modiji
— Nehr_who (@Nehr_who) June 5, 2019
Few days ago, A Retired Subedar Mohammed Sanaullah ( who served the Indian Army for 30 years ) was detained by Assam police after being declared a “foreigner”.
Today, A “foreigner” (Bangladeshi) Actress Anju Ghosh joined BJP.
Priorities of a ‘so called Nationalist govt’ !
— The Monk who sold his Fuckeeri. (@puntinational) June 6, 2019
Speaking to News18, the actress stated that she was born in Bengal and holds an Indian voter ID card. She said that her parents have been staying at Salt Lake for the past three decades and she has even voted in 2019 elections. She said, “I was born in Bengal and worked in Bengali film industry and as well as in Bangladesh. I have an Indian passport and a voter ID card. In this election, I exercised my voting rights. It’s sad to know that people are raising questions over my nationality.”
She added, “I joined the BJP because I want to serve the people. I don’t know why they are now raising questions over my nationality. I am feeling threatened.”
Many artists from West Bengal and Bangladesh work and perform on the other side of the border, as people in both the regions speak the same language, and has the same cultural history as it was a single territory before it was split during the partition at the time of independence. Anju Ghosh has worked in several movies produced in Bangladesh, the most famous among them being 1989 blockbuster Beder Meye Josna, the all time highest grossing movie of Bangladesh.
