New Delhi [India], March 28: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Saumitra Khan on Friday criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, calling her “anti-India” and accusing her of endangering the country due to alleged infiltration issues.
“It has become Mamata Banerjee’s culture to be anti-India. She has never done anything for India. She is putting the country in danger due to intruders coming in,” Saumitra Khan told ANI.
The remarks came after Mamata Banerjee faced protests during her visit to Oxford University’s Kellogg College in London on Thursday. A group of individuals confronted her regarding the RG Kar College case and post-poll violence in West Bengal.
BJP Leader Shares Protest Video
BJP leader Amit Malviya posted a video on social media, claiming that members of the Bengali Hindu community confronted Banerjee at Kellogg College.
“Bengali Hindus confront West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Kellogg College in London, raising angry slogans calling her out for the rape and murder of the lady doctor at RG Kar, crimes against women in Sandeshkhali, the genocide of Hindus, and widespread corruption,” Malviya wrote on X.
He further criticized Banerjee, calling her a “disgrace” to West Bengal.
“Just a few posters that were held up to Mamata Banerjee… She is a disgrace to West Bengal. The Hindu Bengali diaspora wants her out as the Chief Minister for destroying Bengal’s legacy and putting them through such ignominy,” he added.
Mamata Banerjee Responds to Protesters
The video posted by the BJP showed disruptions during Mamata Banerjee’s address, where someone in the audience raised a question about Hindus in Bengal.
“I am for all, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians,” Banerjee responded, which was met with “Go back” slogans from a section of the audience.
Addressing one of the protesters as “brother,” Banerjee said, “Please remember this… and don’t do politics. It’s very easy to do politics here and create negative narratives.”
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) also shared a video from the event in which Banerjee responded to the protesters, stating, “You encourage me. Please smile with hope that Didi will come every time. Didi doesn’t get bothered, Didi doesn’t bother anybody, Didi walks just like a Royal Bengal Tiger, and if you can catch me, catch me.”
Posting the video, the TMC wrote, “She (Mamata Banerjee) doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. Mamata Banerjee is a Royal Bengal Tiger!”
Debate Over India’s Economic Growth
During an interaction on ‘Social Development – Girl, Child, and Women Empowerment in West Bengal’ at Kellogg College, Banerjee disagreed with a claim that India would become the world’s largest economy by 2060.
“India has already overtaken the UK; we are now the 6th largest economy, and India is the fifth largest economy. Soon, it will be the third largest economy in the world. By 2060, it is predicted that it will be the first economy in the world,” the host of the discussion remarked.
Banerjee responded, “I will differ from that.”
Amit Malviya criticized her stance, stating, “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has a problem with India becoming the world’s largest economy… This is truly shameful. She is a disgrace to the constitutional office she holds. Who behaves like this on foreign soil?”