Elon Musk reacts to UK MP’s demand to replace 'Bengali' signboard at London Station, check here

A UK Member of Parliament, Rupert Lowe, has sparked controversy by criticizing a bilingual signboard at Whitechapel Station in London. Lowe, who represents Great Yarmouth for the Reform UK party, posted a picture of the signage on his official X account (formerly Twitter) and demanded that station names should be displayed "in English, and English only."

His statement quickly gained attention online, with some people supporting his view, while others defended the presence of multilingual signs in a diverse city like London. Among those who reacted to the post was billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who replied with "Yes," seemingly agreeing with Lowe’s opinion.

This is London - the station name should be in English, and English only. pic.twitter.com/FJLXRIgR8A

— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) February 9, 2025

Lowe is known for his political stance and is reportedly a supporter of Nigel Farage, the former leader of Reform UK. Recently, Musk had also spoken about UK politics, suggesting that Lowe could replace Farage as the party leader.

Bengali Signage at Whitechapel Station
The bilingual signage at Whitechapel Station was installed in 2022 as a tribute to the Bangladeshi community’s contributions to East London. The project was funded by the Tower Hamlets council as part of broader efforts to improve public spaces and reflect the cultural diversity of the area. Tower Hamlets is home to the largest Bangladeshi community in the UK.

The decision to include Bengali on the signs was widely appreciated, including by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In a post on X in 2022, she expressed pride in seeing Bengali recognized globally. She called it a "victory of our culture and heritage" and encouraged the diaspora to promote their shared cultural identity.

The debate over multilingual signage highlights broader discussions about immigration, integration, and cultural representation in the UK.