Stripped of Bengal top award over Netaji remarks, slapped with FIR: Who is BJP MP Ananta Maharaj

The BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ananta Maharaj, whose real name is Nagendra Roy, has been stripped of West Bengal's highest civilian honor, the Banga Bibhushan, due to remarks he made disparaging Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Maharaj, a key leader of the Rajbanshi community in Cooch Behar district, was awarded the Banga Bibhushan by the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in February, just months before the state elections.

This move was seen as an outreach to the Rajbanshi community, which has been a major vote bank for the BJP in West Bengal.

Following the withdrawal of the Banga Bibhushan honor, Cooch Behar police registered an FIR against Maharaj for his alleged derogatory comments about Netaji. The controversy began after a video of Maharaj's speech at a recent program in Dinhata went viral on social media, where he allegedly called Netaji a "war criminal" and attacked the BJP, claiming that they were giving importance to "dogs" but not to him. Maharaj also raised his demand for a separate Cooch Behar state, citing government commitments and treaties.

The BJP government directed the police to arrest those making derogatory comments on Netaji, and within days, five people close to Maharaj were arrested for similar comments on social media. Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress and Congress, demanded the immediate arrest of Maharaj for his remarks. The Forward Bloc, a party formed by Netaji after he left the Congress, wrote to the Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman, urging scrutiny of Maharaj's statements and action under applicable laws.