SFI zero in Bengal, disruption at CM’s Oxford speech planned: TMC
Kolkata: The disruption created by some students belonging to the Left wing organisation during Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s speech at Oxford University on Thursday triggered condemnations from several quarters. Trinamool Congress (TMC) dubbed the incident “preplanned”.
Trinamool women’s wing also took out a protest rally in Kolkata over the incident.
TMC said that the main intention of the protestors was to disrupt Banerjee’s speech unless they would have put their questions at the question answer session at the end of her speech.
Slamming the Students’ Federation of India (SFI-UK), a Left-wing organisation, for the protests, state Education minister Bratya Basu said that Oxford University cannot be used as a political platform.
“It has become a norm for elements like these to attack our leaders in the midst of an ongoing function. Mamata Banerjee was representing the state and the country and this wasn’t a political platform.
I would like to repeat after my leader that these people should, instead, come back to the country and strengthen their party to fight communal forces,” Basu said. Senior Trinamool Congress leader Shashi Panja along with the women leaders of the party took out a protest rally in Kolkata. TMC spokesperson Jayprakash Majumdar said Mamata won’t be cowed down by such “abuses and insults”.
“It is an unfortunate event, but it is not the first time this has happened. When Swami Vivekanda went to Chicago, there were some people who protested. Mamata Banerjee’s aim is to work for Bengal, let whosoever abuse her,” Majumdar said. “SFI is zero in Bengal, and they are going to the UK to protest. This shows why the CPM is zero in the state. It was planned. They have proved how hollow they have become. I don’t know what SFI in the UK even means?” he said.
Responding to the protesters, Banerjee readily replied: “Do not do politics here, this platform is not for politics. You are lying. You go to Bengal and tell your political party to become even stronger. I will answer you, first see my picture, how an attempt was made to kill me.”
Taking to his social media handle, TMC spokesperson and part of Banerjee’s entourage to the UK, Kunal Ghosh wrote: “A motley band of Left supporters brought disrepute to the state and country by their actions.
They have forgotten about everything that happened in Bengal during the Left rule. Confronted by the audience, they fled the scene. Instead of raising questions during the question and answer session, these people displayed their culture.”
The party’s IT cell chief Debangshu Bhattacharya questioned the identity of the protesters. “These people were neither students of Oxford, nor were they British citizens. By trying to insult the chief minister, they ended up insulting India. People will give them a befitting reply with interest,” said Bhattacharya.
