Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: Political conflict took on a new dimension during the very first session of the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly (West Bengal Assembly Session 2026). Just as the war of words between the ruling and opposition camps was intensifying, BJP MLA Tapas Roy found himself at the center of a fresh controversy following a provocative remark. Speaking on the floor of the Assembly, he not only launched an attack on the opposition camp but also demanded the enactment of legislation to put an end to 'anti-state' and 'anti-national' slogans. On Friday, after the new Speaker, Rathindranath Basu, assumed office, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Leader of the Opposition Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay delivered congratulatory speeches. Subsequently, MLAs from the Congress, ISF, Left Front, and other parties also took the floor. At the conclusion of this phase, Tapas Roy—the BJP MLA from Maniktala who had recently served as the Pro-tem Speaker—was invited to deliver his address.
Right at the outset of his speech, Tapas Roy stated that he was unwilling to view the election results merely as a contest for government formation. In his words, this election was, in essence, a 'Dharmayuddha' (righteous battle). He extended his congratulations to those who emerged victorious in this battle. Immediately thereafter, he made a direct appeal to the Speaker, asserting that 'anti-state' or 'anti-national' slogans should under no circumstances be tolerated within the Assembly.
During Tapas Roy's address, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was observed signaling his support for the remarks. The BJP MLA further asserted that, if necessary, legislation must be enacted to completely ban such slogans. Although he did not initially specify any particular slogan by name, the political implications of his statement were widely perceived as unmistakable.
No sooner had he made these remarks than a section of the Trinamool MLAs rose up in protest. A tumultuous uproar erupted from the opposition benches. Naina Banerjee and Mosaraf Hossain were seen shouting vociferously to register their protest. The situation grew even more heated when Tapas Roy turned directly toward the opposition camp and launched a scathing verbal attack.
He declared that the days of engaging in politics through intimidation were over. Furthermore, alluding to the General Secretary of a national political party, he remarked—referencing a past threat to "break the bones" of opponents—that the individual in question should now step out onto the streets and see for themselves what the actual situation is. Tapas Roy remarked that even if the BJP takes no action, the common people themselves will provide the answer.
He did not stop there. Taking a jibe at the Trinamool Congress regarding their allegations of post-poll violence, the BJP MLA stated that such complaints sound ill-befitting coming from the very people under whose regime so many allegations of violence had surfaced in the past.
Following the conclusion of the session, while interacting with journalists in his chamber, Tapas Roy adopted an even more unequivocal stance. He asserted that slogans such as "Joy Bangla," "Ma-Mati-Manush," and "Khela Hobe" are not intrinsic to the political culture of West Bengal, but rather belong to that of Bangladesh. For this very reason, he opined, the use of such slogans is inappropriate within a constitutional institution like the Legislative Assembly.
Beyond merely expressing his opinion, the BJP MLA went so far as to advocate for a legislative ban on these slogans, should the need arise. However, he offered no definitive response when asked whether there were any plans to impose a statewide ban on the use of these slogans.
All in all, the politics of sloganeering witnessed during the very first session of the Legislative Assembly has once again reignited political tensions within the state. Intense speculation has already begun regarding the possibility that this controversy could escalate into a major political confrontation in the days to come.