The West Bengal government on Wednesday withdrew the Banga Bibhushan conferred on BJP Rajya Sabha MP Nagendranath Roy, popularly known as Ananta Maharaj, following his controversial remarks on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
The decision came amid a wider crackdown announced by the state government against what it described as derogatory comments and misinformation targeting the freedom fighter, one of the most iconic figures of India’s struggle for independence from the British Raj.
Roy had received the state’s highest civilian honour from the then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on February 21, 2026, shortly before the Assembly elections.
The award had drawn political attention because Roy is a BJP MP and an influential Rajbanshi leader from North Bengal.
In an official order, the government said the honour was awarded in recognition of “distinguished and exemplary contribution to the State and its people” and carried “a high degree of dignity and prestige”.
It stated that subsequent developments and material placed before the competent authority raised serious concerns over Roy’s continued retention of the honour.
The order concluded that his continued retention of the award was “inconsistent with the dignity, prestige and purpose of the honour” and announced that the Banga Bibhushan conferred on him was being withdrawn “with immediate effect”.
The government further directed that Roy would no longer be entitled to represent himself as a recipient of the award and instructed all departments to remove his name from official records of Banga Bibhushan awardees.
The controversy erupted after Roy described Netaji as a “war criminal”, questioned his leadership and cast doubt on the contribution of the Azad Hind Fauj to India’s freedom struggle.
The remarks triggered strong political reactions across West Bengal, with even state BJP leaders distancing themselves from his comments and calling them personal views.
Speaking at the state secretariat Nabanna, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said strict legal action would be taken against those spreading misinformation and insulting Netaji on social media.
“Stringent action will be taken against those who have spread misinformation and made memes about Netaji. They will be arrested,” news agency PTI quotes the CM as saying.
Asked whether action would be taken against Ananta Maharaj, Adhikari said, “I will not name anyone, but the law is equal for MLAs, MPs, leaders of any party, government officials, or police officers”.
He urged people who had posted objectionable content to remove it and apologise, but warned that deletion alone would not necessarily prevent legal proceedings.
“Those who have shown such audacity should know that this is not acceptable to us,” he said.
The chief minister said the cyber cell had been instructed to begin proceedings against those responsible for such posts and added, “On the soil of West Bengal, I will not allow Netaji to be insulted”. He also said the government was in touch with Meta regarding the matter.
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With PTI inputs
