Ahmedabad: In the heated political atmosphere ahead of elections in West Bengal, Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra from the Trinamool Congress triggered a controversy with remarks that appeared to divide India’s freedom movement along regional lines, contrasting participation by Gujaratis and Bengalis. However, the TMC leader was soon criticised by netizens over her statements.

Addressing a press conference, Moitra said, “Bengalis are a very proud race. We led the war for independence against the British. Who were the Gujaratis? When you go to Kalapani, what do you see, 68% of the names of the people who were killed and incarcerated in Kala Pani were Bengalis, followed by Punjabis. Can you name me one Gujarati who was there, apart from your big hero, Veer Savarkar, who only wanted to sit and write apology letters? Please let us know.”

#WATCH | Kolkata | TMC MP Mahua Moitra says, “Bengalis are a very proud race. We led the war for independence against the British. Who were the Gujaratis?… 68% of the names of the people who were killed and incarcerated in Kala Pani were Bengalis, followed by Punjabis. Can you… pic.twitter.com/w61O2KpSQX

— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2026

Soon after the statement went viral on social media, users were quick to rebut Moitra’s remarks, citing contributions of several leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Shyamji Krishna Varma and others.

A Twitter user named Dear Men wrote, “How can this sitting MP become so racist & provoke hate against entire Gujrati community? Do she not know contribution of their beloved Monhandas Gandhi & Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Who both were Gujrati. Hope Gujratis take note of how Congress/TMC hates them.”

Another user shared a long list of Gujarati-origin freedom fighters and said, “Mahua Moitra open your shit eyes and read the names those Gujaratis are here… who fought for india…. Dadabhai Naoroji — 1825 Shyamji Krishna Varma — 1857 Govind Guru — 1858 Abbas Tyabji — 1854 Bhikaji Cama — 1861 Imam Saheb Abdul Kadir Bavazir — 1863 Mahatma Gandhi — 1869 Kasturba Gandhi — 1869 Anasuya Sarabhai — 1885 Vithalbhai Patel — 1873 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — 1875 Morarji Desai — 1896 Hansa Mehta — 1897 Chhotubhai Purani — 1898 Gulzarilal Nanda — 1898 Balwantrai Mehta — 1900 Manibehn Patel — 1903 Ravishankar Maharaj — 1884 Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi — 1887 Jivraj Narayan Mehta — 1887 Swami Anand — 1887 Shankerlal Banker — 1889 Maganlal Gandhi — 1888 Narhari Parikh — 1891 Jugatram Dave — 1892 Indulal Yagnik — 1892 Mridula Sarabhai — 1911 Usha Mehta — 1920”

@MahuaMoitra open your shit eyes and read the names those Gujaratis are here… who fought for india….
Dadabhai Naoroji — 1825
Shyamji Krishna Varma — 1857
Govind Guru — 1858
Abbas Tyabji — 1854
Bhikaji Cama — 1861
Imam Saheb Abdul Kadir Bavazir — 1863
Mahatma Gandhi — 1869…

— Soham 🔱 (@sohamsjani7) March 28, 2026

Another user wrote, “Bengalis did play a heroic role in the freedom struggle — no one denies that. But turning Kala Pani statistics into a regional supremacy contest is exactly the kind of toxic, divisive garbage that weakens India. India’s independence was a pan-Indian war, not a Bengali monopoly. This is classic TMC politics: stoke ethnic ego, deflect from governance failure, and keep Bengal divided. Your mentality doesn’t honour revolutionaries — it insults the shared blood of every Indian who fought for one flag, one nation. Focus on fixing West Bengal instead of manufacturing regional wars. Jai Hind. For all of India,”

One user, Shefali Vaidya, wrote, “Just when you think Moitra can’t fall any lower!! First of all, Veer Savarkar was from Maharashtra, so was Lokmanya Tilak. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was from Gujarat. So was Gandhi. But they were all Indians fighting for India’s freedom! Even the Bengali freedom fighters were fighting for India, not Bengal! That particular cancer of narrow parochialism is a recent disease!”

Another user, Braddy, said, “This Lady and her party are such Hypocrites, now she is dividing freedom fighters on the lines of Region and state calling Bengalis proud race and Shaming Gujaratis and thereafter she and her TMC Cabal will accuse BJP of doing “Divisive Politics” do they even think how contradictory they sound like ? Same Lady will invoke Gandhi and Sardar Patel’s name while speaking in Parliament after West Bengal Elections,”

Even a supporter of the TMC’s ally, the Indian National Congress, Tehseen Poonawala, also rebuked the statement, saying,
“Mahatma Gandhi! But are we now dividing the greatest nation on earth & our freedom fighters based on state ? Makes me sick! Is this why we became a free nation? Shameful”

Another user, Shashank Iyengar, said, “Have you heard of names like M K Gandhi & Sardar Patel? Motor mouth Mahua”

Another user, Rajat, said, “Is it not racism when you call yourself a proud race? Like, you are proclaiming your superiority, based on a region, on culture and a language? Not just that, but you try to mark your superiority vis a vis another set of people?! And to substantiate that, you take the names of people from the past, but leave out what is happening there in recent times? India is a nation, not a jungle where a certain quadruped is rubbing itself against a rock or urinating on a tree trunk to mark its territory. If you hate a certain person from Gujarat, you want to generalise that hate to its people? University degrees and parliamentary posts are wasted on some. Rancid and Racist.”

One more user wrote, “It is ridiculous to do this kind of region based headcount census. Almost makes it appear like the Bengalis of that era were fighting for their own country. No. They were fighting for India. Savarkar isn’t a Gujarati. But she has lost it totally that she has even forgotten Gandhiji was Gujarati. There are many others ofcourse. Either case it is upto Bengalis if they want to see her as some great contemporary representative of their ‘race’. Ridiculous statement this. But this kind of us vs them regional political parties of various hues exist in various parts of India. Anchor on one sub-identity and stretch the exceptionalist claims to make it appear as if the sub-identity is different from the uber overarching identity of India that is Bharat.”

Another user, Soumili Das, said, “If Bengalis have an ounce if self-respect, they will resist till the end of eternity this pseudohistorical mob called TMC, often whitewashed in ornamental English by folks like Mahua Moitra. So Mahua Moitra does not acknowledge the role of Mohandas Gandhi, if I’m not wrong? That means, she and her party reject the involvement of Gandhi in independence. If that’s what they do, ambitious. Second, Savarkar was a Marathi and a Chitpavan Brahmin. I wonder how pleased would Saket Gokhale be, at this. Do you support your party’s MP at not acknowledging the contributions of Marathis like the Savarkar brothers, Chaphekar brothers, BG Tilak and VB Phadke, Mr Gokhale? Bengalis should be audacious enough to through subnationalist mobs out. Jai Hind.” DeshGujarat