A video has gone viral on various social media platforms wherein TMC MLA Madan Mitra is seen tearing and throwing India’s national flower, the lotus, on the floor. While doing so, he stated that West Bengal will no longer offer the flower to Goddess Durga because it is the BJP’s symbol and offering it would be an insult to the Goddess.
The TMC stalwart Madan Mitra, who was arrested by the central investigative agency in December 2014 in connection with criminal conspiracy, cheating, misappropriation and involvement in the Saradha scam, claimed: “BJP has insulted the ‘Padda’ (Lotus), so I am boycotting the flower. Henceforth, I will not use the flower for worshipping”.
According to reports, Madan Mitra’s remark came after CPM leader and former CM of WB Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Kolkata-based singer Sandhya Mukhopadhya and tabla maestro Anindya Chatterjee have refused to accept the Padma Shri honour conferred on them by the central government this year. Mitra seemed irritated that the BJP has humiliated the Bengali legends by accepting their refusal to receive the award.
Reacting to this, Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra, speaking at Belgharia 17 Pally in Kolkata’s North 24 Parganas, tore and threw the lotus on the floor. He said that the BJP government has insulted the Bengali legends. Madan Mitra opined: “How will one feel if Modi is conferred with the Bharat Ratna award 500 years after he is gone. This is insulting Bengal and Bengalis. We shall not tolerate this. During Saraswati Puja, I will take up the challenge and offer prayers without offering lotus to Maa Saraswati. Let us see what happens to me,” said the angry TMC MLA.
Netizens fume at Madan Mitra for insulting the national flower
Many Netizens sought action against Madan Mitra, who had recently announced his decision to quit Facebook temporarily after being issued a stern warning by the party’s disciplinary committee, for showing disrespect towards the country by shredding and throwing the national flower on the floor.
Here is the video. pic.twitter.com/RLt3434Cmk
— Rathindra Bose (@rathindraOFC) January 27, 2022
Lotus flower is the national flower of the country. An elected representative TMC MLA Madan Mitra publicly disrespected the national flower! He will not be punished? #SupremeCourt @HMOIndia @Lawyer_Kalpana @KapilMishra_IND @AshwiniUpadhyay @ZeeNews @Republic_Bharat @jdhankhar1 pic.twitter.com/JRfg3lih3Y
— I am Modi 🇮🇳 (@Indian_Hindu80) January 27, 2022
TMC MLA Madan Mitra has lost it.
— Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay (@SudhanidhiB) January 27, 2022
Says the lotus flower will not be used henceforth in Bengal, given that its the symbol of BJP.
No wonder why the leadership has asked him to stay away from SM. https://t.co/Q3eStRGgA7
OpIndia had explained in detail why Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and singer Sandhya Mukherjee rejected the Padma honour. It is an established procedure that before the announcement of the name for such civilian honours, the government seeks the consent of the prospective awardees. If anyone conveys any objection or shows unwillingness, he or she is not named.
