Mamata Banerjee says all West Bengal schools free to celebrate Independence Day as per their choice

Kolkata: In the backdrop of reports that the state government has ordered schools to ignore a central government circular and follow their usual mode of celebrating Independence Day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday reacted strongly describing it as a misrepresentation of facts.

Ahead of Independence Day, the Centre had written to the states to organise events in schools towards creating a “patriotic mood” and a “mass fervour” to help realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “New India” vision. Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar had alleged that West Bengal had instructed its schools to desist from following the Centre’s circular. Javadekar had termed the decision of the Trinamool Congress government as “unfortunate”.