Meghalaya Governor Jumps Into Hindi Debate, Says Bengali Boys Are Sweeping Floors And Girls Dancing In Bars

The controversy triggered by the draft National Education Policy over the Three-Language Policy refuses to die down even after the government clarified that there was no plan to make Hindi a mandatory third language in schools across the country.

The initial protests were in non-Hindi speaking states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Since then it has reached other non-Hindi speaking states like West Bengal too.

Now controversial Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy has jumped into the controversy, implying that due to the opposition to learn Hindi, Bengali boys are sweeping floors and girls are becoming bar dancers.

BCCL/ FILE

Roy, himself a Bengali tweeted in Bengali saying "Assam, Maharashtra, Odisha are also non-Hindi speaking states. They are not raising their voice against Hindi. Bengal is the land of Vidyasagar, Vivekananda, Rabindranath and Netaji so why should Bengalis learn Hindi. What is the link between these great men and opposition to learning Hindi? Who will explain to them that the greatness of Bengal has gone? Now from Haryana to Kerala, Bengali youths are sweeping the floors in homes and Bengali girls are bar dancers in Mumbai. This was not there before."

As expected the comments of Roy, an RSS ideologue and former president of the West Bengal BJP did not go down well among many in the state including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"One should control his tongue, let common sense prevail. It is not expected from a person who holds a constitutional post," Mamata said.

Others too expressed their opinion disapproving Roy's comments.

¡°MEGHALAYA GOVERNOR MR ROY SPARKS ROW WITH ANTI-BENGALI COMMENT¡±governor tathagata Roy has insulted Bengal women.he tweets said Bengali were ¡°sweeping the floors¡±or are bar dancers in Mumbai.mamata Banerjee must file complain against governor in NCW.?@MamataOfficial? pic.twitter.com/xNDvBEdmae

¡ª k g patel (@Kgpatel261) June 7, 2019

I am a BENGALI BOY, and I am proud of it.
Also I DON'T SWEEP FLOORS and come from an illustrious family of Painter of Bengal School.
Mr. Governor @tathagata2, your tweet is obnoxiously shameful and worth spitting.
And you are just a blot on Bengali's.https://t.co/PvN3pjx9gz

¡ª Shivashish Sen (@Shivashishsen21) June 6, 2019

No one in Bengal is denying that the unemployment is a big issue just like the entire country. It is bcoz of policy failure & violent politics. But to use the constitutional position of a Governor to demean an entire community is shameful to say the least. #TathagataRoy

¡ª ?????? ?? (@nabojagoron) June 7, 2019

#There is no dearth of idiots in our country.?#Trinamool protests Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy's remarks on Bengali women
https://t.co/c76ekH77lS
Download the TOI app now:https://t.co/R0b7NUZ5Q4

¡ª Animesh Das (@Animesh83222241) June 6, 2019

1- Action
2- Reaction#TathagataRoy pic.twitter.com/N4kZ06fOXh

¡ª Amartya Das (@Amartya_13) June 6, 2019

Former governor of Tripura and presently governor of Meghalaya Shri Tathagata Roy¡¯s distasteful tweet that Bengali boys sweep floors and Bengali girl¡¯s dances in Bars. This fellow blocked me or else I would have given a reply to his tweet. Shameless!! pic.twitter.com/DuFpaGVaC9

¡ª Pujan Biswas (@pujanbiswaspyc) June 4, 2019

Roy is no stranger to controversies. His past comments include calling to bury the bodies of terrorists wrapped in pig skin and excreta. Following the Pulwama terror attack, Roy had called for a boycott everything Kashmiri.