Did Mahatma Gandhi Return Knighthood Over Jallianwala Bagh Massacre? Mamata Faces Massive Backlash Over False Claims

New Delhi: Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing a rally, stated that Mahatma Gandhi had returned his knighthood in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

However, it seems to be historically incorrect, for which the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo is facing massive backlash online. 

According to the historical records, the act of renouncing a knighthood following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre is associated with Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, not Mahatma Gandhi.

Rabindranath Tagore was awarded a knighthood by King George V in 1915 for his contributions to literature, particularly after winning the Nobel Prize in 1913. He renounced the title on May 30, 1919, in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Mahatma Gandhi, meanwhile, was never conferred a knighthood by the British crown.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on April 13, 1919, in Amritsar, where British troops opened fire on a gathering of unarmed civilians, resulting in large-scale casualties.

The incident deeply impacted the Indian freedom movement and prompted strong reactions across the country, including Rabindranath Tagore’s decision to return his knighthood.

BJP responds, flags historical error

The remark also drew a response from BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, who addressed the issue by pointing to what he described as a factual inaccuracy.

In his post, Malviya stated that while Mamata Banerjee had claimed that Mahatma Gandhi returned his knighthood after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, historical records show that it was Rabindranath Tagore who took that step in 1919.

By saying “facts matter,” Malviya emphasised that references to key historical events, especially those closely tied to India’s freedom movement and cultural legacy, should be presented accurately. He also underlined that Rabindranath Tagore’s decision to renounce his knighthood was a symbolic protest against British actions after the massacre.

Election backdrop

The development comes as West Bengal prepares for Phase 1 of the 2026 Assembly elections scheduled for April 23.

Polling will be held across 152 constituencies in 16 districts, including regions in North Bengal and parts of South Bengal and Jangalmahal, with over 36 million voters expected to participate.

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