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Sharing a video of the incident on social media platform X, Adhikari questioned the state of law and order in West Bengal
In the video, a man wearing a yellow T-shirt and black shorts is seen untying a saffron flag that had been fastened to the front of a bus.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday alleged that a saffron flag tied to a bus was forcefully removed by a “mob of radicals” in Kolkata, West Bengal.
Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government over the incident.
Sharing a video of the incident on social media platform X, Adhikari questioned the state of law and order in West Bengal. “Shocking scenes from Swami Vivekananda’s birthplace, Kolkata! A Saffron flag, a symbol of courage, sacrifice and valor, got forcefully removed from a bus by a mob of radicals,” he wrote.
Shocking scenes from Swami Vivekananda’s birthplace, Kolkata!A Saffron flag, a symbol of courage, sacrifice and valor, got forcefully removed from a bus by a mob of radicals.Is this the harmony and tolerance Swamiji stood for? Under Mamata Banerjee’s watch, such acts go… pic.twitter.com/is3SOgV6jJ
— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) April 10, 2025
“Is this the harmony and tolerance Swamiji stood for? Under Mamata Banerjee’s watch, such acts go unchecked while the Police stand by silently. Where is the respect for our culture and values?,” the BJP leader questioned.
In the video shared by Adhikari, which News18 has not independently verified, a man wearing a yellow T-shirt and black shorts is seen untying a saffron flag that had been fastened to the front of a bus and removing it.
The footage also shows a large crowd watching and cheering as the man unties the flag. Several police officials can also be seen in the video.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, responding to the incident during a press briefing, said that the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division) is looking into the matter and appropriate “lawful action will be taken”.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya also took to X to express his outrage: “Saffron is not just a color—it represents both existence and resistance. It was worn with pride by Swami Vivekananda, Swami Pranabananda, and countless other saints who devoted their lives to serving humanity. On our national flag, it stands for courage and sacrifice.”
Saffron is not just a color—it represents both existence and resistance.It was worn with pride by Swami Vivekananda, Swami Pranabananda, and countless other saints who devoted their lives to serving humanity. On our national flag, it stands for courage and sacrifice.
Yet a… pic.twitter.com/hOVv5b7f8G
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 10, 2025
Malviya further asked: “Has it become a crime to be a Hindu in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee?”
