A British MP has stirred controversy by objecting to bilingual signage at Whitechapel Station in London, arguing that station names should be displayed in English only. His comments received backing from US tech mogul Elon Musk. Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth and a member of Reform UK, shared an image of the sign featuring both English and Bengali on his official X account.
"This is London – the station name should be in English, and English only," Lowe wrote on Sunday. His remark sparked a debate on social media, with some supporting his position while others defended the inclusion of multiple languages. Musk, who owns X, responded with a simple "Yes."
The Bengali signage at Whitechapel Station was introduced in 2022 to honor the Bangladeshi community's contributions to East London. The initiative, funded by Tower Hamlets council, was part of broader improvements to the station. Whitechapel, located in Tower Hamlets, is home to the largest Bangladeshi population in the UK.
Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had praised the Bengali signage addition, viewing it as a recognition of the language's cultural significance.
“Proud to note that the London Tube Rail has accepted Bengali as a language of signage at Whitechapel Station, signifying the increasing global importance and strength of the 1,000-year-old language,” Banerjee wrote on X in March 2022. She added that the move underscored the importance of unity within the diaspora through cultural ties. “It is a victory of our culture and heritage,” she remarked.
