June 26, 2026
Egyptian Zodiac Horoscope Today for November 27, 2025: The stars test patience, these zodiac signs must choose wisely

Egyptian Zodiac Horoscope Today for November 27, 2025: The stars test patience, these zodiac signs must choose wisely

Vamsikrishna06 mins mins

Step into the sands of time, where ancient wisdom meets modern energy. Egyptian astrology doesn’t just look to the stars; it listens to the gods. Each day, divine forces like Ra, Bastet, Thoth, and Anubis stir the energies around you, shaping your path in subtle, sacred ways. Whether you’re seeking clarity, strength, love, or a…

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Representative image NEW DELHI: A day before polling in Assam, Congress candidate for the Udalguri seat, Suren Daimari, on Wednesday announced he has quit the party and “surrendered” his candidature. The Congress, however, said that he was yet to submit his resignation letter to the party.A senior election commission official, when contacted, said Daimari’s name will remain in the EVM, and people can still vote for him since the deadline for withdrawing nomination has long passed.Congress Spokesperson Bedabrata Bora told PTI that Daimari has announced his decision in front of the media and has not yet submitted his resignation letter to the party.Earlier in the day, Daimari told reporters that he has resigned from the Congress and “surrendered” his candidature. “There is no benefit of being in the Congress. It has betrayed me,” he said.”The Congress only works for the Miyas, but they do nothing for the Scheduled Tribes like me,” Daimari alleged.He claimed that after nominating him from the Udalguri seat, the Congress offered no support in campaigning.”I called up the party leadership repeatedly, but they did not even receive my call. I am hurt because they did not help me at all. The district Congress committee did not help me,” Daimari said.After waiting for a long time for a response, and when it did not come, the decision was taken to leave the party, he added.When asked why he resigned just a day before the polling, Daimari said: “I have not betrayed the party, the party has betrayed me.” In the situation arising from Daimari’s announcement, the senior poll panel official clarified that the deadline for withdrawing nominations had long passed and candidates’ names had already been loaded onto the EVMs.”In fact, the polling parties have left for their polling stations. So, there is no question of withdrawing one’s name now from the contest,” he added.Polling for the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held on April 9, while the results will be declared on May 4. Four candidates are in the fray for the Udalguri Assembly seat.Apart from Daimari, BJP ally BPF’s Rihon Daimari, UPPL’s Dipen Boro and Voters Party International’s Unike Basumatary are contesting in the seat.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Bilateral Trade Growing Towards 0 Bn Ambition’: Piyush Goyal At Launch Of India-US Trade PortalIndia Pushes For ‘Freedom Of Navigation’ At Hormuz After Iran-US Ceasefire, Jaishankar Heads To UAE’How Will We Get PoK, Aksai Chin Back?’: Owaisi Slams Modi Govt Over US-Iran CeasefireOil Falls After US-Iran Ceasefire, But Why Indians May Not See Cheaper Fuel Anytime SoonIndia Seeks Return Of Stranded Ships In Hormuz, Evacuation Of 7,500 Indians In Iran After CeasefireIndia’s Theatre Command Plan Nears Reality, Marking Major Shift In WarfightingExplained: Why India’s Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor Is A Game-Changer For Its Nuclear RoadmapEAM Jaishankar Hosts Bangladesh FM Khalilur Rahman For Crucial Bilateral Talks In DelhiDRDO Chief Flags Risks Of Foreign Dependence, Calls For Full-Spectrum Defence Self-Reliance’I Cry When I Think Of Indians’: Iran Supreme Leader’s Rep Hails India After Ceasefire With US123PhotostoriesHow to make Ranveer Brar-Style Biryani ka Masala at home5 interesting ways to use a sandwich maker beyond making sandwichesFrom ‘flying’ to surviving a year without food: 7 snake facts explained8 red snakes you won’t believe exist in the wildThese 8 teddy bear-like dogs are so cute you won’t believe they’re realBanarasi outfit ideas beyond sarees inspired by Bollywood celebritiesWhat are the Vedic switch words? know their powerful effects in HinduismAhead of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ release, let’s revisit Meryl Streep’s other iconic charactersNearly 100 hospitalised after suspected food poisoning: Food storage mistakes that turn dangerous in summerTop 8 Indian real estate hotspots for NRI investors right now123Hot PicksShreyas Iyer SisterUpdated IPL Points TablePurple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce RelationshipIPL 2026Donald TrumpB V NagarathnaRomarioMHT CET Admit cardBengal PollIPL Points TableSchool Holidays in AprilKarnataka 2nd PUC Exam Result Date

Representative image NEW DELHI: A day before polling in Assam, Congress candidate for the Udalguri seat, Suren Daimari, on Wednesday announced he has quit the party and “surrendered” his candidature. The Congress, however, said that he was yet to submit his resignation letter to the party.A senior election commission official, when contacted, said Daimari’s name will remain in the EVM, and people can still vote for him since the deadline for withdrawing nomination has long passed.Congress Spokesperson Bedabrata Bora told PTI that Daimari has announced his decision in front of the media and has not yet submitted his resignation letter to the party.Earlier in the day, Daimari told reporters that he has resigned from the Congress and “surrendered” his candidature. “There is no benefit of being in the Congress. It has betrayed me,” he said.”The Congress only works for the Miyas, but they do nothing for the Scheduled Tribes like me,” Daimari alleged.He claimed that after nominating him from the Udalguri seat, the Congress offered no support in campaigning.”I called up the party leadership repeatedly, but they did not even receive my call. I am hurt because they did not help me at all. The district Congress committee did not help me,” Daimari said.After waiting for a long time for a response, and when it did not come, the decision was taken to leave the party, he added.When asked why he resigned just a day before the polling, Daimari said: “I have not betrayed the party, the party has betrayed me.” In the situation arising from Daimari’s announcement, the senior poll panel official clarified that the deadline for withdrawing nominations had long passed and candidates’ names had already been loaded onto the EVMs.”In fact, the polling parties have left for their polling stations. So, there is no question of withdrawing one’s name now from the contest,” he added.Polling for the 126-member Assam Assembly will be held on April 9, while the results will be declared on May 4. Four candidates are in the fray for the Udalguri Assembly seat.Apart from Daimari, BJP ally BPF’s Rihon Daimari, UPPL’s Dipen Boro and Voters Party International’s Unike Basumatary are contesting in the seat.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘Bilateral Trade Growing Towards $500 Bn Ambition’: Piyush Goyal At Launch Of India-US Trade PortalIndia Pushes For ‘Freedom Of Navigation’ At Hormuz After Iran-US Ceasefire, Jaishankar Heads To UAE’How Will We Get PoK, Aksai Chin Back?’: Owaisi Slams Modi Govt Over US-Iran CeasefireOil Falls After US-Iran Ceasefire, But Why Indians May Not See Cheaper Fuel Anytime SoonIndia Seeks Return Of Stranded Ships In Hormuz, Evacuation Of 7,500 Indians In Iran After CeasefireIndia’s Theatre Command Plan Nears Reality, Marking Major Shift In WarfightingExplained: Why India’s Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor Is A Game-Changer For Its Nuclear RoadmapEAM Jaishankar Hosts Bangladesh FM Khalilur Rahman For Crucial Bilateral Talks In DelhiDRDO Chief Flags Risks Of Foreign Dependence, Calls For Full-Spectrum Defence Self-Reliance’I Cry When I Think Of Indians’: Iran Supreme Leader’s Rep Hails India After Ceasefire With US123PhotostoriesHow to make Ranveer Brar-Style Biryani ka Masala at home5 interesting ways to use a sandwich maker beyond making sandwichesFrom ‘flying’ to surviving a year without food: 7 snake facts explained8 red snakes you won’t believe exist in the wildThese 8 teddy bear-like dogs are so cute you won’t believe they’re realBanarasi outfit ideas beyond sarees inspired by Bollywood celebritiesWhat are the Vedic switch words? know their powerful effects in HinduismAhead of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ release, let’s revisit Meryl Streep’s other iconic charactersNearly 100 hospitalised after suspected food poisoning: Food storage mistakes that turn dangerous in summerTop 8 Indian real estate hotspots for NRI investors right now123Hot PicksShreyas Iyer SisterUpdated IPL Points TablePurple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce RelationshipIPL 2026Donald TrumpB V NagarathnaRomarioMHT CET Admit cardBengal PollIPL Points TableSchool Holidays in AprilKarnataka 2nd PUC Exam Result Date

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

NEW DELHI: A day before polling in Assam, Congress candidate for the Udalguri seat, Suren Daimari, on Wednesday announced he has quit the party and “surrendered” his candidature. The Congress, however, said that he was yet to submit his resignation letter to the party.A senior election commission official, when contacted, said Daimari’s name will remain…

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Libra Horoscope Today, April 18, 2026: Keep your dignity intact

Libra Horoscope Today, April 18, 2026: Keep your dignity intact

Vamsikrishna03 mins mins

In today’s interconnected world, the synergy between Venus and the Moon highlights the importance of teamwork and collaboration. This celestial alignment nurtures romance, inviting people to connect on deeper levels. However, it’s essential to establish clear boundaries. Spend quality time with your partner, and if you’re looking for love, be open and genuine in your…

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Updated: Feb 15, 2026, 19:01 IST

Updated: Feb 15, 2026, 19:01 IST

Vamsikrishna03 mins mins

NEW DELHI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha did not shake hands during the toss in the T20 World Cup 2026 match between the arch-rivals in Colombo on Sunday, continuing India’s no-handshake policy against Pakistan.The customary gesture was absent after the toss, extending a stance that has been in place since…

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‘Ramayana’ producer Namit Malhotra drops BTS pic with AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer on birthday; fans ask ‘teaser kab aayega?’

‘Ramayana’ producer Namit Malhotra drops BTS pic with AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer on birthday; fans ask ‘teaser kab aayega?’

Vamsikrishna02 mins mins

‘Ramayana’ producer Namit Malhotra set social media abuzz on the occasion of Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman’s birthday. To mark the music maestro’s special day, Malhotra took to his handle to share a BTS photo of himself with Rahman and legendary music producer Hans Zimmer at the studio, offering fans a rare glimpse into the making…

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‘Only 2% of the population watches our biggest hits in theatres’: Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan highlight India’s shocking cinema shortage

‘Only 2% of the population watches our biggest hits in theatres’: Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan highlight India’s shocking cinema shortage

Vamsikrishna07 mins mins

At Waves Summit, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan advocated for more cinema screens to revitalize Indian theatrical business. However, the article argues that the core issue is a content drought, not screen scarcity, as most films fail to attract audiences despite available screens. The industry needs to invest in compelling storytelling to revive audience…

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Meesho IPO opens today: Should you subscribe? Check price band, GMP, analysts’ opinion & more

Meesho IPO opens today: Should you subscribe? Check price band, GMP, analysts’ opinion & more

Vamsikrishna04 mins mins

Online shopping platform Meesho is set to open for subscription on Wednesday, attracting investors with a solid grey market premium. The excitement has been fuelled by positive commentary from analysts.The company is targeting proceeds of Rs 5,421 crore from the IPO, which will remain open until 5 December. The price band has been set between…

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What’s inside the deep, natural water slides of Snake Canyon in Oman; decoding the mystery

What’s inside the deep, natural water slides of Snake Canyon in Oman; decoding the mystery

Vamsikrishna01 mins mins

Snake Canyon is unique in many senses. It is not like any ordinary hiking trail but perfectly combines swimming, trekking and sliding, making it an all-in-one adventure site. The canyon also features narrow passages where adventure seekers often squeeze their way between towering rock walls rising nearly 40 metres up. It’s the much-needed adrenaline rush…

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PM Modi pays homage to Syama Prasad Mookerjee Political power is often a potent way of building legacy by highlighting elements from history that suit the narrative of those in ascendancy. For critics, the BJP, now in power both at the Centre and in the state, is using its double-engine efficacy to paint a unilateral palette over the chequered history of Bengal’s Partition and Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s legacy in Bengal politics. For supporters, it is not reinvention but restitution, the due recognition of a chapter of Indian history they believe was consciously pushed to the margins.That makes June 23 more than a remembrance day this year.Observed by the BJP as Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s “Sacrifice Day”, marking his death in detention in Jammu and Kashmir in 1953, June 23 is now part of a larger political project. Three days earlier, the government in Bengal officially marked June 20 as West Bengal Day for the first time. The decision to celebrate Mookerjee’s July 6 birth anniversary as a state holiday adds another date to the sequence. The proposed 125-foot statue in Kolkata, the planned memorial at his ancestral home in Jirat, and the renaming of Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road are pieces of the same puzzle. Watch The Fall of TMC? How Internal Rebellion is Handing Bengal to the BJPThe June 23 tributes by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Suvendu Adhikari underline the deep significance Mookerjee holds within the right-of-centre ecosystem. Modi hailed him as “a distinguished patriot, scholar and statesman” who dedicated his life to India’s development. He invoked Mookerjee’s “conviction, courage in public life and commitment to national interest”, and said his sacrifice remained etched in collective memory. Adhikari called Mookerjee a “venerable nationalist leader”, founder of the Jana Sangh and a man who dedicated his life to safeguarding India’s unity and integrity. Most significantly, he described him as the “father of West Bengal”.Since 2023, the BJP at the Centre has observed June 20 as West Bengal Day. Raj Bhavan marked it too. Mamata Banerjee’s government rejected June 20 as Bengal’s foundation day and chose Poila Baisakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar, as Bangla Divas, locating Bengal’s identity in culture rather than Partition.From the BJP’s point of view, the June 20 celebration is therefore a correction of historical neglect, the day Bengali Hindus secured a state within India, a move the party believes was made possible by Mookerjee’s politics.The backstory behind June 20The BJP’s June 20 narrative cannot be understood without delving into the longer history of Bengal’s partitions. Bengal had already lived through one Partition in 1905, when the British divided the province, officially for administrative reasons but politically in a way that weakened Bengali nationalism. That Partition was fiercely opposed by Bengal’s nationalist intelligentsia, including Rabindranath Tagore, and was reversed in 1911. The memory of that reversal became part of Bengal’s political pride.By 1947, the political situation had changed. The 1946 elections had confirmed the Muslim League’s dominance in Bengal’s Muslim-majority politics. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy became the last premier of undivided Bengal. The violence of Direct Action Day in Calcutta in August 1946, followed by Noakhali, shattered whatever remained of trust between communities.In April 1947, Suhrawardy, already branded by critics as the “Butcher of Bengal”, floated the idea of an undivided, sovereign Bengal that would join neither India nor Pakistan. Sarat Chandra Bose, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s elder brother, also supported the broad idea, although Chandra Bose, Netaji’s grandnephew, argues that Sarat Bose hoped the sovereign state could later join India.For Mookerjee and the Hindu Mahasabha, this was not romantic Bengal nationalism but a trap. They believed it would leave Hindu-majority western Bengal inside a Muslim-majority state, possibly outside India, and vulnerable to Muslim League dominance. After the violence of 1946, that fear had deep resonance among many Bengali Hindus. Mookerjee’s argument was blunt. If India was to be divided, Bengal must be divided too.What exactly happened on June 20, 1947On June 20, 1947, the Bengal Legislative Assembly voted on the province’s future under the June 3 Plan, or the Mountbatten Plan. In the joint sitting, members voted 126-90 that if Bengal remained united, it should join a new and separate Constituent Assembly, effectively Pakistan’s. The sectional votes then settled the matter. The Muslim-majority section voted 106-35 against partitioning Bengal and, if Partition did take place, 107-34 for joining the new Constituent Assembly. The non-Muslim-majority section voted 58-21 for Partition and, in that event, for joining India’s Constituent Assembly.Under the June 3 Plan, if either section voted for Partition, Bengal would be divided. So June 20 became a day of finality. For the non-Muslim-majority section, it was a hard, pragmatic choice made amid the bitter realisation that a united Bengal was no longer a viable political future.Why Modi chose Tarakeswar for the June 20 messageAt Tarakeswar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi linked the past with the present and future, giving June 20 the BJP’s national narrative. He accused Congress of bowing before “conspiratorial forces” during Partition and said attempts had once been made to make the whole of Bengal part of Pakistan. He spoke of Bengal finding “new freshness”, as if the state had finally broken free from old shackles.Tarakeswar was not incidental to that frame. Alongside being a popular Shaivite pilgrimage spot, it holds another memory for Hindu nationalists. In April 1947, before the Bengal Assembly vote, the Bangiya Hindu Mahasabha met near Tarakeswar under Mookerjee’s leadership. The demand for a separate West Bengal that would remain with India gathered organised shape there.At a time when Sarat Bose was still canvassing for an undivided Bengal, Mookerjee called for a clear break. The Hindu Mahasabha may not have been numerically strong in the Assembly, but Hindu nationalists argue that Mookerjee had enough political legitimacy to build consensus among Hindu lawmakers and shift the terms of debate.Why BJP wants Syama Prasad in sharper focusMookerjee was not only the man BJP credits for the creation of West Bengal. He was also the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the BJP’s ideological predecessor. After Independence, he joined Nehru’s cabinet as Industry and Supply minister, later resigned, and became one of the earliest national faces of opposition politics.Mookerjee died in 1953 while in custody in Jammu and Kashmir. He had gone there in protest against the permit system and the special constitutional arrangement then in place. The slogan associated with his politics, one country cannot have two constitutions, two heads and two flags, later became part of BJP’s long campaign against Article 370. His death in custody turned June 23 into Balidan Divas for the Sangh Parivar.Bengal’s public pantheon has long been crowded by Tagore, Vivekananda, Netaji, Nazrul, Vidyasagar and Bankim. Mookerjee was present, but rarely as the central founder of modern West Bengal. BJP is looking to change that fast.Why the Suhrawardy road rename mattersThe Suhrawardy Avenue-Gopal Mukherjee Road controversy belongs to the same ideological lens. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy is linked by critics to the Great Calcutta Killings of 1946 and to the charge that his government failed to protect citizens when Calcutta burned. Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, or Gopal Patha, is remembered as the man who organised resistance and protected Hindu neighbourhoods.But here, history complicates the act. Municipal-history accounts say Suhrawardy Avenue was named after Sir Hassan Suhrawardy, the first Muslim vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, not his nephew H S Suhrawardy. That distinction matters historically. Politically, however, the Suhrawardy name now evokes painful memories. When the purpose is to send a pointed political message, fact often travels with a coat of symbolism.Why opposition parties call it selective historyThe opposition believes BJP is constructing a majoritarian narrative around a complex historical moment. It argues that BJP is not recovering history but selectively arranging it to suit its politics.The CPM’s campaign of putting people’s history in people’s court is an attempt to take the counter-story to neighbourhoods. Its argument is that June 20 cannot be separated from displacement, bloodshed and the uprooting of lakhs of people.Congress has challenged the Mookerjee-centred version too. Its argument is that BJP is shrinking a larger legislative process into a one-man story. Congress leaders say most of those who backed West Bengal’s place in India were from the party, with Mookerjee and communist members such as Jyoti Basu only part of a broader list.Chandra Bose, speaking to TOI, questioned what difference Mookerjee’s vote made to the larger equation. While expressing regret over Bengal’s Partition, he said credit or blame for it could not be given to Mookerjee alone, arguing that he was a minor player in the larger Congress-dominated ecosystem.There is also the August 14 contradiction. If Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is observed nationally as a day of trauma, opponents ask, how can June 20, part of that same Partition process, be celebrated as Bengal’s birthday?BJP’s Bengal story now in motionBJP’s Bengal story is built around the narrative of civilisational pride and historical erasure. It says Bengal was wounded by Partition, weakened by appeasement, robbed of nationalist memory and taught to forget its defenders. Even on syama Prasad’s death anniversary, his biographer and BJP leader Tathagata Roy doubled down on this narrative, saying the national leader had not received due recognition. According to Roy, “the previous state government didn’t know he existed and they were jealous of him”.How Mookerjee’s memory is commemoratedFor a party long accused by detractors of bringing an outside ideology into the state, it now has the opportunity to say that it is merely recovering Bengal’s own suppressed history. Opposition figures like Chandra Bose contest the title of “father of West Bengal”, asking how states can have their own father and what such a claim does to the idea of India. He also questions why Mookerjee did not do enough to save Hindus who were left in East Pakistan after Partition and instead concentrated on Jammu and Kashmir. Bose says ruefully that had Netaji been present in 1947, India would not have been divided.At the same time, Chandra Bose and other critics acknowledge Mookerjee’s scholarship. That makes the BJP’s next move predictable, to push the conversation into academic space. Bengal higher education minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay has said that in the “new Bengal” after BJP’s rise to power, no “uncomfortable narrative” of history would be ignored, and syama Prasad Mookerjee’s contribution, forgotten for nearly eight decades, would now be discussed. While insisting that the government would not interfere in university curricula, he added that it wanted debate on Mookerjee across the right and the left, calling such debate a sign of health in higher education.It is clear that Bengal’s past is being reorganised. And in that reorganisation, Syama Prasad Mookerjee is being moved from the margins of Bengal’s official memory to the centre of its new political story.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorArghya Prasun RoychowdhuryInterested in politics, policy, data and cricket.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosJaipur Woman Arrested Over Alleged Pakistan Links; ATS Probes Jaish ConnectionFrom Central Park Tragedy To ‘Romanch’s Law’: How An Indian Teen’s Death Sparked A Major NYC DebateAjit Doval, Wang Yi Review India-China Ties, Border Progress At BRICS NSA Meeting In New DelhiAfter Lucknow Fire Killed 15, Kanpur Launches Safety Crackdown On Coaching CentresRow Erupts Over US Ambassador Sergio Gor’s ‘Two Nations’ Remark After Meeting TN CM VijayCM Vijay’s First Detailed Assembly Speech: Hits Back At ‘Actor’s Party’ Jibe, Renews Anti-NEET PushTMC Leader Humiliated In Public | Shoe Garland, Sit-Ups & Eggs Thrown Amid Corruption AllegationsNSA Ajit Doval Flags Evolving Terrorism And Disruptive Technologies At BRICS MeetBengaluru NEET Controversy: Cong Says Rally Did Not Disrupt Exam, Calls BJP Charges BaselessEU Unveils Ambassadors Network In India, Seeks Stronger People-To-People Links123PhotostoriesFrom Delhi Gymkhana Club to Calcutta Club: 6 iconic clubs of India that have shaped the country’s culinary cultureBritish-inspired window designs: 7 elegant styles that can add timeless charm to Indian homesThis is the ‘Northernmost Capital on Earth’ and it offers midnight sun, geothermal streets and surreal viewsFrom pride parades to custody battles: 9 fathers who chose their children over society’s judgment”If it says organic, it must be…”: FSSAI shares 3 smart ways to check food certification at home5 places in India where brides buy imitation wedding jewellery that looks almost realPsychology says people who drink tea instead of coffee often think differentlyInside Hina Khan’s luxurious Mumbai home, reportedly worth around Rs 10 crore: Stunning skyline views, a glam vanity room and moreLove quote of the day by Emily Blunt: ‘There’s someone behind you on your good days, and someone in front…’7 Auspicious house names are popular among homeowners who believe in wealth, peace and prosperity123Hot PicksIPL tradeGold rate todayCUET UG Result 2026Telangana school bandhCBSE 12th revaluationMaldivian wisdomSpanish proverbMalay proverbPortuguese proverbTop TrendingGeorge KurianUS-Iran WarKunal ShahFIFA World Cup 2026Stock market crashCUET UG Result 2026Ketan AgarwalGold rate todayDelhi weatherMumbai rain

PM Modi pays homage to Syama Prasad Mookerjee Political power is often a potent way of building legacy by highlighting elements from history that suit the narrative of those in ascendancy. For critics, the BJP, now in power both at the Centre and in the state, is using its double-engine efficacy to paint a unilateral palette over the chequered history of Bengal’s Partition and Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s legacy in Bengal politics. For supporters, it is not reinvention but restitution, the due recognition of a chapter of Indian history they believe was consciously pushed to the margins.That makes June 23 more than a remembrance day this year.Observed by the BJP as Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s “Sacrifice Day”, marking his death in detention in Jammu and Kashmir in 1953, June 23 is now part of a larger political project. Three days earlier, the government in Bengal officially marked June 20 as West Bengal Day for the first time. The decision to celebrate Mookerjee’s July 6 birth anniversary as a state holiday adds another date to the sequence. The proposed 125-foot statue in Kolkata, the planned memorial at his ancestral home in Jirat, and the renaming of Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road are pieces of the same puzzle. Watch The Fall of TMC? How Internal Rebellion is Handing Bengal to the BJPThe June 23 tributes by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Suvendu Adhikari underline the deep significance Mookerjee holds within the right-of-centre ecosystem. Modi hailed him as “a distinguished patriot, scholar and statesman” who dedicated his life to India’s development. He invoked Mookerjee’s “conviction, courage in public life and commitment to national interest”, and said his sacrifice remained etched in collective memory. Adhikari called Mookerjee a “venerable nationalist leader”, founder of the Jana Sangh and a man who dedicated his life to safeguarding India’s unity and integrity. Most significantly, he described him as the “father of West Bengal”.Since 2023, the BJP at the Centre has observed June 20 as West Bengal Day. Raj Bhavan marked it too. Mamata Banerjee’s government rejected June 20 as Bengal’s foundation day and chose Poila Baisakh, the first day of the Bengali calendar, as Bangla Divas, locating Bengal’s identity in culture rather than Partition.From the BJP’s point of view, the June 20 celebration is therefore a correction of historical neglect, the day Bengali Hindus secured a state within India, a move the party believes was made possible by Mookerjee’s politics.The backstory behind June 20The BJP’s June 20 narrative cannot be understood without delving into the longer history of Bengal’s partitions. Bengal had already lived through one Partition in 1905, when the British divided the province, officially for administrative reasons but politically in a way that weakened Bengali nationalism. That Partition was fiercely opposed by Bengal’s nationalist intelligentsia, including Rabindranath Tagore, and was reversed in 1911. The memory of that reversal became part of Bengal’s political pride.By 1947, the political situation had changed. The 1946 elections had confirmed the Muslim League’s dominance in Bengal’s Muslim-majority politics. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy became the last premier of undivided Bengal. The violence of Direct Action Day in Calcutta in August 1946, followed by Noakhali, shattered whatever remained of trust between communities.In April 1947, Suhrawardy, already branded by critics as the “Butcher of Bengal”, floated the idea of an undivided, sovereign Bengal that would join neither India nor Pakistan. Sarat Chandra Bose, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s elder brother, also supported the broad idea, although Chandra Bose, Netaji’s grandnephew, argues that Sarat Bose hoped the sovereign state could later join India.For Mookerjee and the Hindu Mahasabha, this was not romantic Bengal nationalism but a trap. They believed it would leave Hindu-majority western Bengal inside a Muslim-majority state, possibly outside India, and vulnerable to Muslim League dominance. After the violence of 1946, that fear had deep resonance among many Bengali Hindus. Mookerjee’s argument was blunt. If India was to be divided, Bengal must be divided too.What exactly happened on June 20, 1947On June 20, 1947, the Bengal Legislative Assembly voted on the province’s future under the June 3 Plan, or the Mountbatten Plan. In the joint sitting, members voted 126-90 that if Bengal remained united, it should join a new and separate Constituent Assembly, effectively Pakistan’s. The sectional votes then settled the matter. The Muslim-majority section voted 106-35 against partitioning Bengal and, if Partition did take place, 107-34 for joining the new Constituent Assembly. The non-Muslim-majority section voted 58-21 for Partition and, in that event, for joining India’s Constituent Assembly.Under the June 3 Plan, if either section voted for Partition, Bengal would be divided. So June 20 became a day of finality. For the non-Muslim-majority section, it was a hard, pragmatic choice made amid the bitter realisation that a united Bengal was no longer a viable political future.Why Modi chose Tarakeswar for the June 20 messageAt Tarakeswar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi linked the past with the present and future, giving June 20 the BJP’s national narrative. He accused Congress of bowing before “conspiratorial forces” during Partition and said attempts had once been made to make the whole of Bengal part of Pakistan. He spoke of Bengal finding “new freshness”, as if the state had finally broken free from old shackles.Tarakeswar was not incidental to that frame. Alongside being a popular Shaivite pilgrimage spot, it holds another memory for Hindu nationalists. In April 1947, before the Bengal Assembly vote, the Bangiya Hindu Mahasabha met near Tarakeswar under Mookerjee’s leadership. The demand for a separate West Bengal that would remain with India gathered organised shape there.At a time when Sarat Bose was still canvassing for an undivided Bengal, Mookerjee called for a clear break. The Hindu Mahasabha may not have been numerically strong in the Assembly, but Hindu nationalists argue that Mookerjee had enough political legitimacy to build consensus among Hindu lawmakers and shift the terms of debate.Why BJP wants Syama Prasad in sharper focusMookerjee was not only the man BJP credits for the creation of West Bengal. He was also the founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the BJP’s ideological predecessor. After Independence, he joined Nehru’s cabinet as Industry and Supply minister, later resigned, and became one of the earliest national faces of opposition politics.Mookerjee died in 1953 while in custody in Jammu and Kashmir. He had gone there in protest against the permit system and the special constitutional arrangement then in place. The slogan associated with his politics, one country cannot have two constitutions, two heads and two flags, later became part of BJP’s long campaign against Article 370. His death in custody turned June 23 into Balidan Divas for the Sangh Parivar.Bengal’s public pantheon has long been crowded by Tagore, Vivekananda, Netaji, Nazrul, Vidyasagar and Bankim. Mookerjee was present, but rarely as the central founder of modern West Bengal. BJP is looking to change that fast.Why the Suhrawardy road rename mattersThe Suhrawardy Avenue-Gopal Mukherjee Road controversy belongs to the same ideological lens. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy is linked by critics to the Great Calcutta Killings of 1946 and to the charge that his government failed to protect citizens when Calcutta burned. Gopal Chandra Mukherjee, or Gopal Patha, is remembered as the man who organised resistance and protected Hindu neighbourhoods.But here, history complicates the act. Municipal-history accounts say Suhrawardy Avenue was named after Sir Hassan Suhrawardy, the first Muslim vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, not his nephew H S Suhrawardy. That distinction matters historically. Politically, however, the Suhrawardy name now evokes painful memories. When the purpose is to send a pointed political message, fact often travels with a coat of symbolism.Why opposition parties call it selective historyThe opposition believes BJP is constructing a majoritarian narrative around a complex historical moment. It argues that BJP is not recovering history but selectively arranging it to suit its politics.The CPM’s campaign of putting people’s history in people’s court is an attempt to take the counter-story to neighbourhoods. Its argument is that June 20 cannot be separated from displacement, bloodshed and the uprooting of lakhs of people.Congress has challenged the Mookerjee-centred version too. Its argument is that BJP is shrinking a larger legislative process into a one-man story. Congress leaders say most of those who backed West Bengal’s place in India were from the party, with Mookerjee and communist members such as Jyoti Basu only part of a broader list.Chandra Bose, speaking to TOI, questioned what difference Mookerjee’s vote made to the larger equation. While expressing regret over Bengal’s Partition, he said credit or blame for it could not be given to Mookerjee alone, arguing that he was a minor player in the larger Congress-dominated ecosystem.There is also the August 14 contradiction. If Partition Horrors Remembrance Day is observed nationally as a day of trauma, opponents ask, how can June 20, part of that same Partition process, be celebrated as Bengal’s birthday?BJP’s Bengal story now in motionBJP’s Bengal story is built around the narrative of civilisational pride and historical erasure. It says Bengal was wounded by Partition, weakened by appeasement, robbed of nationalist memory and taught to forget its defenders. Even on syama Prasad’s death anniversary, his biographer and BJP leader Tathagata Roy doubled down on this narrative, saying the national leader had not received due recognition. According to Roy, “the previous state government didn’t know he existed and they were jealous of him”.How Mookerjee’s memory is commemoratedFor a party long accused by detractors of bringing an outside ideology into the state, it now has the opportunity to say that it is merely recovering Bengal’s own suppressed history. Opposition figures like Chandra Bose contest the title of “father of West Bengal”, asking how states can have their own father and what such a claim does to the idea of India. He also questions why Mookerjee did not do enough to save Hindus who were left in East Pakistan after Partition and instead concentrated on Jammu and Kashmir. Bose says ruefully that had Netaji been present in 1947, India would not have been divided.At the same time, Chandra Bose and other critics acknowledge Mookerjee’s scholarship. That makes the BJP’s next move predictable, to push the conversation into academic space. Bengal higher education minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay has said that in the “new Bengal” after BJP’s rise to power, no “uncomfortable narrative” of history would be ignored, and syama Prasad Mookerjee’s contribution, forgotten for nearly eight decades, would now be discussed. While insisting that the government would not interfere in university curricula, he added that it wanted debate on Mookerjee across the right and the left, calling such debate a sign of health in higher education.It is clear that Bengal’s past is being reorganised. And in that reorganisation, Syama Prasad Mookerjee is being moved from the margins of Bengal’s official memory to the centre of its new political story.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorArghya Prasun RoychowdhuryInterested in politics, policy, data and cricket.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosJaipur Woman Arrested Over Alleged Pakistan Links; ATS Probes Jaish ConnectionFrom Central Park Tragedy To ‘Romanch’s Law’: How An Indian Teen’s Death Sparked A Major NYC DebateAjit Doval, Wang Yi Review India-China Ties, Border Progress At BRICS NSA Meeting In New DelhiAfter Lucknow Fire Killed 15, Kanpur Launches Safety Crackdown On Coaching CentresRow Erupts Over US Ambassador Sergio Gor’s ‘Two Nations’ Remark After Meeting TN CM VijayCM Vijay’s First Detailed Assembly Speech: Hits Back At ‘Actor’s Party’ Jibe, Renews Anti-NEET PushTMC Leader Humiliated In Public | Shoe Garland, Sit-Ups & Eggs Thrown Amid Corruption AllegationsNSA Ajit Doval Flags Evolving Terrorism And Disruptive Technologies At BRICS MeetBengaluru NEET Controversy: Cong Says Rally Did Not Disrupt Exam, Calls BJP Charges BaselessEU Unveils Ambassadors Network In India, Seeks Stronger People-To-People Links123PhotostoriesFrom Delhi Gymkhana Club to Calcutta Club: 6 iconic clubs of India that have shaped the country’s culinary cultureBritish-inspired window designs: 7 elegant styles that can add timeless charm to Indian homesThis is the ‘Northernmost Capital on Earth’ and it offers midnight sun, geothermal streets and surreal viewsFrom pride parades to custody battles: 9 fathers who chose their children over society’s judgment”If it says organic, it must be…”: FSSAI shares 3 smart ways to check food certification at home5 places in India where brides buy imitation wedding jewellery that looks almost realPsychology says people who drink tea instead of coffee often think differentlyInside Hina Khan’s luxurious Mumbai home, reportedly worth around Rs 10 crore: Stunning skyline views, a glam vanity room and moreLove quote of the day by Emily Blunt: ‘There’s someone behind you on your good days, and someone in front…’7 Auspicious house names are popular among homeowners who believe in wealth, peace and prosperity123Hot PicksIPL tradeGold rate todayCUET UG Result 2026Telangana school bandhCBSE 12th revaluationMaldivian wisdomSpanish proverbMalay proverbPortuguese proverbTop TrendingGeorge KurianUS-Iran WarKunal ShahFIFA World Cup 2026Stock market crashCUET UG Result 2026Ketan AgarwalGold rate todayDelhi weatherMumbai rain

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