People, schools in Bengal would celebrate I-Day as per choice: Mamata

She reasserted that in Bengal each one has full freedom to celebrate 70 years of freedom

Accusing a section of media houses in the country of "misrepresenting facts" about the impending Independence Day celebrations in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said every person in Bengal has the full freedom to celebrate the occasion.

"Some BJP-cornered media misrepresenting facts. Don't mislead. In Bengal each one has the full freedom to celebrate 70 years of our freedom," Banerjee said on Twitter.

She also said all the schools in Bengal would be celebrating the 70th year of India's independence on Tuesday in "their own special way".

"All schools in Bengal are celebrating Independence Day as per their choice. In their own special way," she clarified.

 

Controversy erupted last week after the West Bengal government issued an "urgent" directive to all District Project Officers in-charge of the Sarva Shikha Mission in the state on August 11, instructing all schools and other educational institutions to "stop all preparations" for celebrating Independence Day 2017 in a format prescribed by the Union HRD Ministry.

Criticising the centre and BJP for trying to enforce their thinking on others, the state government said they do not need lessons on patriotism from the BJP and would celebrate the Independence Day "in their own way".

The Human Resource Development Ministry had earlier, issued a circular on July 25 to all state Education Secretaries specifying "additional activities" to be undertaken by schools under the Sarva Shiksha Mission to celebrate Independence Day in a "befitting manner".