BJP MP issues apology for remarks at Netaji after FIRs registered by Bengal police
Six FIRs have been registered, five persons have been arrested and 282 social media posts have been taken down.
On Friday, August 14, 2026, Nagendra Roy, a Rajya Sabha MP representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), issued an apology for his objectionable remarks made about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Roy expressed his regret through a video statement, stating that if anyone was hurt by his comments against Netaji, he sincerely apologized for the same. This apology came after the West Bengal government began registering FIRs and arresting individuals for making and sharing derogatory posts on Netaji on social media platforms.
In a separate development, the West Bengal government withdrew the Banga Bibhusan, the state's highest civilian award, from Nagendra Roy. The award, conferred by the Trinamool Congress government in February 2026, was taken away following the controversy surrounding Roy's remarks. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari expressed satisfaction with Roy's apology and expressed the hope that others would be mindful of their words, particularly given Roy's age.
Adhikari acknowledged that Roy had withdrawn his comments and emphasized the appropriateness of the action taken against him, while reiterating that Roy's remarks were inappropriate.
The Chief Minister also informed that, alongside the five arrests, approximately 282 social media posts were removed due to the derogatory content related to Netaji. In response to the situation, protests were organized across various parts of the state by supporters of Congress and CPI(M), blaming the BJP for the derogatory remarks made about Netaji.
Senior BJP leader and former Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy stated that it was not correct to hold the BJP solely responsible for the controversy and suggested that there might be some 'rotten apples' in a large party. Roy, a leader of the Greater Cooch Behar Movement, was elected to the Rajya Sabha as a BJP representative in 2023.
Recently, he had referred to Netaji as a 'war criminal', questioned his leadership, and raised doubts regarding the role of the Azad Hind Fauj in India's freedom struggle, which sparked widespread outrage.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
