Kolkata/New Delhi: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee made a complete goof-up on Tuesday, ahead of India's 72nd Independence Day. Banerjee, who is believed to be the prime ministerial candidate of the united Opposition made the blunder while speaking on India's partition. What is even more surprising is that the fiery leader didn’t even correct herself and went ahead with the press conference she had called.

“After 1947, it was an united India. India comprised of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They were together, unitedly. Later on the three nations were created,” said Banerjee. She was hitting out at the BJP-ruled Central and Assam governments over the implementation of the National Register of Citizen (NRC) in Assam and during the course of it wanted to give a historical reference of how India, as we know it today, was created. However, in her over-enthusiasm, she seems to have got the facts wrong. 

Banerjee was wrong on two counts. Firstly, British India wasn’t split into India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The present day Bangladesh was part of Pakistan as East Pakistan till 1971 when it emerged as a separate nation with Indian intervention, from the clutches of Pakistan. Secondly, the partition of India and Pakistan didn’t happen after 1947. Pakistan got its independence in August 14 and India on August 15. Both in 1947 itself. And thus the ‘united India’ Banerjee was talking about ceased to exist in 1947 itself.