Kolkata Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the decision to restrict slogans like 'Jai Hind', 'Vande Mataram' in Parliament.
"Kyun nahi bolenge? Jai Hind aur Vande Mataram hamara national song hai. Yeh hamara azaadi ka slogan hai. Jai Hind hamara Netaji ka naara hai... Isse jo takraega choor choor ho jaega," she said.
"'Jai Hind’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ cannot be said in Parliament. We must remember that ‘Vande Mataram’ is our national song. All our slogans are ‘Vande Mataram’. That was used to be the protest line used by the freedom fighters. How can it be forgotten? Do they want to destroy the identity of Bengal?" she asked.
The bulletin, which restricted the use of slogans in the Parliament, was issued on Monday and said that if one member of the house criticises another, the former needs to be present to hear their reply.
“The latter is entitled to expect that the critic should be present in the House to hear his reply. To be absent when the latter is replying is a breach of parliamentary etiquette," it said.
“Rulings are given by the Chair according to precedents of the House, and where there is no precedent, the usual parliamentary practice is followed. Rulings given by the Chair should not be criticised directly or indirectly inside or outside the House,” the bulletin read, according to a report in the Hindustan Times.
It further said, “the decorum and the seriousness of the proceedings of the House require that there should be no ‘Thanks’, ‘Thank You,’ ‘Jai Hind,’ ‘Vande Mataram,’ or any other slogans raised in the House.”