British MP upset by Bengali signboard in London, Elon Musk supports

British MP Rupert Lowe has stirred fresh controversy after criticizing the use of bilingual signage at London’s Whitechapel Station. According to a report published by Business Standard, an Indian media outlet, he insists that station names in Britain be displayed solely in English.

A Reform UK member representing Great Yarmouth, Lowe’s remarks drew support from South African-born tech billionaire Elon Musk.

On Sunday, Lowe shared a photograph of the sign, which features both English and Bengali languages, on his official account on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

“This is London – the station name should be in English, and English only,” he wrote.

His post quickly gained traction, fueling a wider debate over linguistic representation in public spaces.

Musk, who owns X, responded to the post tersely: “Yes.”

The Bengali signage, introduced in 2022, was part of a broader effort to recognise the contributions of the Bangladeshi community in East London. The initiative was funded by the Tower Hamlets Council. Whitechapel is home to the largest Bangladeshi community in the United Kingdom.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, had taken to X to appreciate the inclusion of the Bengali signage at the Whitechapel Station as a victory for linguistic and cultural recognition.