West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that a malicious propaganda campaign was launched against her over her speech yesterday. She claimed that she did not speak a single word against medical students or their agitation against the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. “I have come to know of a malicious propaganda campaign in some print, electronic and digital media, which has been spread in reference to the speech given by me at our students’ event yesterday,” she said in a long post on Instagram.
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Mamata Banerjee said that let me firmly clarify that I have not said a single word against (medical etc.) students or their movements. I fully support their movement. Their movement is genuine. I never threatened them, as some people are accusing me. This allegation is completely false. She said that she spoke against the BJP in her speech because they are endangering democracy in West Bengal.
The Chief Minister said that I have spoken against the BJP. I have spoken against them because with the support of the Government of India, they are threatening democracy in our state and trying to create anarchy. With the support of the Centre, they are trying to create anarchy and I have raised my voice against them. During her speech, Banerjee said that she was very patient during the entire episode. She urged the protesting doctors to return to work. The BJP claimed that they had threatened the doctors.
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Mamata said that I also clarify that the phrase (“phonsh kara”) that I used in my speech yesterday is a quote from Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa Dev. The great saint had said that sometimes there is a need to raise the voice. When crime and criminal incidents take place, the voice of protest has to be raised. My speech on that point was a direct reference to the great Ramakrishnan saying. In response to the BJP’s 12-hour long ‘Bengal Bandh’ call on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using his party to incite violence in Bengal over the Kolkata doctor rape and murder.
