Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pradeep Bhandari on Friday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of following the “anti-India rhetoric” allegedly set by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, criticizing her for speaking against the country on foreign soil.
“Leaders of the INDI alliance abuse Bharat whenever they travel abroad. Rahul Gandhi has a history of doing this, and now Mamata Banerjee is following in his footsteps. It’s clear that INDI alliance leaders hate the progress of the country and only believe in vote-bank politics. This is why they continue to be rejected by the people, and they will be rejected again, whether in Bengal or the 2029 elections. India wants progress, and progress means PM Modi,” Bhandari told ANI.
Banerjee’s controversial remarks at Oxford University’s Kellogg College in London on Thursday triggered protests. A group of demonstrators confronted her over post-poll violence, the RG Kar College case, and crimes against women in Sandeshkhali.
BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a video on X, claiming that members of the Bengali Hindu diaspora confronted the Bengal CM over allegations of corruption, Hindu persecution, and lawlessness in Bengal.
“Bengali Hindus confronted Mamata Banerjee in London, raising slogans against her for the rape and murder of the RG Kar lady doctor, crimes against women, Hindu genocide, and widespread corruption,” Malviya stated.
He further called Banerjee a “disgrace to Bengal”, adding that the Hindu Bengali diaspora wants her out as Chief Minister for allegedly destroying the state’s legacy.
Videos from the event showed Banerjee facing repeated interruptions, with some audience members chanting “Go back”. When questioned about Hindus in Bengal, she responded: “I am for all—Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians.”
As disruptions continued, she urged the protestors to avoid “negative politics”, addressing one as “brother” and stating, “It’s easy to create false narratives.”
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) defended Banerjee, sharing a video of her unfazed response: “You encourage me. Please smile with hope—Didi will come every time, Didi doesn’t get bothered, Didi doesn’t bother anybody, Didi walks just like a Royal Bengal Tiger.”
The TMC captioned the post: “She doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. Mamata Banerjee is a Royal Bengal Tiger!”
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI-UK) later claimed responsibility for the protest, stating: “We opposed Mamata Banerjee’s false claims about social development in Bengal. Instead of allowing peaceful expression, police were called. In solidarity with students and working masses in Bengal, we raised our voice against the corrupt and undemocratic rule of TMC.”
With the Bengal elections approaching, the Oxford incident has escalated political tensions between BJP and TMC. While the BJP accuses Banerjee of maligning India abroad, the TMC portrays her as a leader who won’t bow down to criticism.
