'Amar mon bole chai': Why did TMC MLA Babul Supriyo sing Tagore's song in Assembly?

Kolkata: Singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo, who is a popular figure in West Bengal, regaled the members of the West Bengal Assembly by rendering a beautiful song originally composed by ‘Gurudev’ Rabindranath Tagore.

According to reports, Supriyo, who has been recently elected to the Assembly on a Trinamool Congress ticket, was speaking in support of a bill in the House on Thursday when some ruling TMC MLAs shouted and requested him for a song.

The TMC MLAs were seen cheering the singer and shouted, “Babul, ekta gaan hoye jak." Though the singer-politician did not initially oblige them but later, after they insisted, he agreed to sing a song.

With a smile on his face, Supriyo first finished his speech in support of the bill and then entertained a similar request from the House Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay for a song.

Bandyopadhyay, who was joined by several other TMC legislators including party chief whip Nirmal Ghosh, told Supriyo that "This house has been witness to such things in the past. Babul, please regale us with a song." 

Supriyo, a former BJP MP and union minister, then rendered a beautiful song composed by Tagore ‘Amar mon bole chai chai go....’. Babul’s soulful rendition of the song turned the otherwise serious mood of the West Bengal Assembly into a lighter one.

The entire House maintained a stoic silence and listened to the song with rapt attention. They even thumped the desk when it ended. Interestingly, when Supriyo began his speech earlier, he was jeered at by BJP members who shouted slogans at him. Supriyo, after finishing his speech, too sarcastically said that he feels "rejuvenated” by their response.