BJP labels Mamata Banerjee 'a disgrace to Bengal' amid Oxford speech protests
Times of India | 28 March 2025
NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee faced protests from demonstrators at Oxford University's Kellogg College in London on Thursday. The protesters questioned her about the RG Kar College incident and post-poll violence in West Bengal.
A video shared by Bharatiya Janata Party's Amit Malviya purportedly showed members of the Bengali Hindus community confronting the chief minister during her visit to Kellogg College in London.
"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," Amit Malviya posted on X.
The BJP leader further called Mamata Banerjee 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.
The footage revealed the West Bengal chief minister encountering multiple disruptions, with an audience member raising concerns about the situation of Hindus in Bengal.
"I am for all, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians," Banerjee responded, which was followed by "Go back" slogans from a section of the audience.
The chief minister addressed one of the protesters as "brother" and said, "Please remember this... and don't do politics. It's very easy to do politics here and create negative narratives."
In a video clip shared by the Trinamool Congress showing the interaction, the chief minister addressed the protestors with these words: "You encourage me, Please smile with a hope that Didi will come every time, Didi don't get bothered, Didi don't bother anybody, Didi walk just like a Royal Bengal Tiger and if you can catch me me."
Posting the video, Trinamool Congress said, "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!"
In a statement the Students Federation of India in the UK (SFI UK) took responsibility for the protests say, "SFI-UK held a demonstration in Kellogg College, Oxford against Mamata Banerjee's speech. We opposed her blatant lies by asking her for evidence of the social development she claims to pioneer. Instead of allowing us to peacefully express our opinions, the police were called. In support of the students and working masses of West Bengal, SFI-UK raised its voice in opposition to Mamata Banerjee and the TMC's corrupt, undemocratic rule."
BJP leader Amit Malviya shared an additional video clip from Mamata Banerjee's session at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. The footage showed her participating in a discussion titled 'Social Development - Girl, Child and Women Empowerment in West Bengal'. During this interaction, she expressed disagreement with the projection that India would emerge as the world's leading 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, to which Mamata Banerjee said, "I will differ that."
Amit Malviya's social media statement indicated that the chief minister of West Bengal appears to be displeased with India's achievement of becoming the world's largest economy.
"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?" Malviya posted on X.
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