Naming 21 Islands In Andamans "Just To Gain Popularity": Mamata Banerjee
NDTV
Mamata Banerjee's reaction came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi named 21 Islands in the archipelago after Param Vir Chakra awardees.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday took potshots at the Centre's attempt to rechristen some islands, stating that such initiatives were made to just to "gain popularity", given that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had renamed Andaman and Nicobar as Shaheed and Swaraj Islands in 1943.
Ms Banerjee's reaction came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi named 21 Islands in the archipelago after Param Vir Chakra awardees, on the occasion of Bose's 126th birth anniversary.
"Today, just to gain popularity, some are claiming to have given names Shaheed and Swaraj to islands, but that is not true. Netaji, during his visit to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, had already renamed those," Ms Banerjee said.
Notably, Neil and Havelock islands in Andamans were, in 2018, renamed as 'Shahid' Dweep and 'Swaraj' Dweep by the Centre. Ross Island was also rechristened as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep to honour the freedom fighter.
