Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was met with "chor, chor" slogans in Kolkata on Tuesday during a TMC programme protesting controversial remarks by a BJP MP against Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The incident came days after she faced similar slogans in Halisahar, turning the party event into another politically charged confrontation.
Banerjee reached Shyambazar five-point crossing in north Kolkata carrying a portrait of freedom fighter Khudiram Bose and paid tribute at the feet of Netaji's statue at a programme organised by the TMC over alleged derogatory remarks against the iconic freedom fighter.
The controversy was triggered by comments of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Nagendra Roy, popularly known as Ananta Maharaj, who described Netaji as a "war criminal", questioned his leadership and raised doubts over the role of the Azad Hind Fauj in India's freedom struggle.
The West Bengal BJP leaders have distanced themselves from the statements, clarifying that Roy's comments were entirely personal and not endorsed or believed by the party.
The BJP leader's remarks have provided the TMC with a fresh political weapon, allowing Banerjee's party to frame the issue as an assault on Bengal's nationalist legacy and Netaji's place in the state's political imagination.
As Tuesday's programme was underway, a group of people gathered near the venue and raised "chor, chor" slogans targeting Banerjee, briefly disrupting the proceedings.
The slogans came barely two days after Banerjee's convoy was surrounded by protesters in Halisahar in North 24 Parganas district.
Banerjee sought to keep the focus on the freedom movement, invoking Netaji, Mahatma Gandhi and Matangini Hazra.
She said her party did not organise programmes merely for "show" but honoured freedom fighters from the heart.
The TMC alleged that the Shyambazar protest was deliberately orchestrated by people backed by the BJP to disrupt its programme and insult Banerjee.
The BJP has denied involvement in the Halisahar episode, with its leaders instead portraying the protests as an expression of public anger against Banerjee.
On Sunday, protesters surrounded her vehicle and shouted "chor" slogans besides allegedly hurling mud and slippers when she went to meet the family of a TMC worker who died in police custody.
Police personnel formed a cordon around Banerjee's vehicle as protesters reportedly blocked its passage, turning the visit into a charged political spectacle.
Her successor and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had denied any involvement of the ruling party in the incident, saying it reflected "strong public anger" against Banerjee.
Adhikari had also said that since Banerjee had "committed so much theft", she would have to hear people call her a "thief".
The recurrence of similar slogans in Kolkata within days, and at a TMC programme involving Banerjee herself, has given the incidents a significance beyond the individual protests.
For the TMC, the episodes are being projected as politically motivated attempts to disrupt Banerjee's programmes and undermine her public standing.
For the BJP, they offer an opportunity to amplify a narrative of public discontent against Banerjee.
The TMC has seized on the remarks to portray itself as the defender of Netaji's legacy, while the protests against Banerjee have sought to turn the spotlight on allegations of corruption and popular disenchantment.
(With inputs from PTI)
