A fresh conflict erupted between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Thursday after BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said in the Rajya Sabha that renowned Bengali freedom fighter Matangini Hazra had raised the slogan of Vande Mataram “despite being a Muslim”.

Sharma’s remark drew an angry response from the TMC camp, which labelled the BJP as “ Bangla birodhi (anti-Bengali)” and “ bahiragoto (outsiders)”. Seizing on the row, the ruling party in West Bengal stepped up its attack on the BJP ahead of the state Assembly elections slated for early next year.

In a sharp reaction to Sharma’s comment, TMC supremo and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “A BJP leader said that Matangini Hazra was a Muslim. Do you (the BJP) even know Bengal?”

Often referred to as Gandhi buri (old lady G

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