Mamata arrives to rousing welcome, vows to counter critics with development works

Kolkata: After her eight-day tour of the UK where she addressed a business meet and delivered a historical lecture at Kellogg College under Oxford University, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday evening landed at N S C Bose International Airport.

She was given a thunderous welcome by the Trinamool Congress activists and leaders. She had left the state on March 22.

During her return to Kolkata, Banerjee told the journalists who were a part of her entourage that she will give a befitting reply to those who are envious of her.

She said some people may be envious but her government will continue the development works. If they are more envious, there will be more development, she said, it was learnt. Her statement can be linked to the attempt made by SFI during her lecture at Oxford.

According to sources, Banerjee has said that she has two primary objectives one of which is to open a campus of Oxford University in Kolkata and the other is to reintroduce a direct flight between Kolkata and London twice a week. During her business meeting in London, she had urged the British Airways to consider reintroduction of direct flights. During her address at Kellogg College on March 27, Banerjee highlighted the communal harmony that prevails in Bengal and also pointed out Bengal’s diversity, emphasising that people in the state celebrate all festivals together without discrimination. During the university lecture, she urged the authorities to open a campus in Kolkata.

She also assured that she was ready to hand over a piece of land to the Oxford University authorities within no time. She also sent across a message of communal harmony.

“We have about 11 crore people in our state — almost like a big country. Our beauty lies in the fact that more than 33 per cent of our people belong to minority communities, including Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Gorkhas. Around 6 per cent are tribals, and 23 per cent belong to Scheduled Castes. People of every caste, creed and religion love each other,” she said.

At an interactive session on ‘opportunities in West Bengal,’ Banerjee said the industries can help the state in green technologies, smart infrastructure and clean energy sectors. She highlighted Bengal’s MSME growth. This was Banerjee’s second visit to the UK as chief minister, the first one being in November 2017.