‘Mohun Baingan’: Mandaviya’s gaffe triggers row

In West Bengal where football loyalties are inherited like surnames and club names are uttered with near-religious reverence, a linguistic slip by Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has kicked off an unexpected political derby, with the TMC playing a full-throated home game.

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

At a press conference in New Delhi Tuesday to announce that the Indian Super League (ISL) which was on pause due to the lack of a commercial partner, will resume from February 14, Mandaviya triggered a row by stumbling over the names of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, two institutions that define not just the city’s sporting soul but much of its cultural grammar.

As cameras rolled, the minister’s pronunciation briefly wandered offside. He paused, sought help, corrected himself and moved on. Social media did not.