KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s repeated use of foul language, unprecedented in the state’s political history, has drawn flak not only from the Opposition’ but also from leading citizens. CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “Her actions and use of words don’t befit a CM. It is an insult to Bengali culture. As Bengalis, we are feeling ashamed.”
Shamik Bhattacharya, BJP MLA said, “She is displaying the culture of the TMC and the Bengali culture never approves of such behaviour from a Chief Minister.”
Veteran Congress leader Abdul Mannan remarked, “She should realise that she represents the people of Bengal. Use of such foul language is an insult to the people of West Bengal and our culture.”
Commenting on Mamata’s frequent digs at the media and abuse of it, former Chief Justice of HC, Bhagabati Prasad Banerjee said, “These actions and language prove that some people are yet to learn from the outcome faced by former (late) Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who imposed Emergency to gag the media. The media’s job is to criticise and highlight the failures of the government. That is Democracy.”
During her speech at an official public meeting in North Bengal on Wednesday, Mamata had said, “Peace prevails in the hills, as well as in Junglemahal now. But they can’t tolerate it. They couldn’t achieve it and that’s why they are always planning to give bamboo from the back. Just because you own a channel, you cannot just say anything you like. Limits are being crossed.”
“Bamboos are grown in jungles and used to make houses. They don’t know while giving bamboo to others, when bamboo will chase them, where they will seek shelter,” she had said, while gesturing with her right hand.
Reacting to the BJP’s state in-charge Siddharth Nath Singh’s slogan “Bhaag Mamata Bhaag”, during party president Amit Shah’s rally on November 30, she had remarked in Bengali, “Some are saying flee from Bengal. How dare! There is a saying that if you fly too high, you will be wiped out by a storm”.
During a TMC workers’ meeting on November 22, she had called Shah and Singh “shaala” and then immediately withdrew the word, but remarked, “No one has ever heard their names in Bengal.”
She used her right hand to gesture vulgarly and said, “Since I went to Delhi Tumpai had to bambooed and arrested? I will go to Delhi repeatedly, a hundred times”.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Srinjoy Basu alias Tumpai was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the Saradha scam.