Mamata Banerjee heckled at Oxford event: BJP attacks WB CM, says following Rahul Gandhi's footsteps (WATCH)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee faced protests during her speech at Oxford University's Kellogg College in London on Thursday. A group of demonstrators, including members of the Students Federation of India in the UK (SFI-UK) and purportedly the Bengali Hindu diaspora, confronted Banerjee over issues such as post-poll violence, corruption, and crimes against women in West Bengal. The heckling led to strong political reactions back in India, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launching scathing attacks on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader.

BJP’s Sharp Criticism

BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari accused Banerjee of following in the footsteps of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi by allegedly speaking against India on foreign soil.

“Leaders of the INDI alliance abuse Bharat whenever they go on foreign soil. Rahul Gandhi has a history of speaking against the country, and now Mamata Banerjee is following in his footsteps. The 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, whether in Bengal or the upcoming 2029 elections. India wants progress, and progress means under PM Modi,” Bhandari told ANI.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh echoed similar sentiments, asserting that Banerjee must answer for incidents like the RG Kar College case.

“We said earlier that when she goes to speak at a university in the UK, she will have to answer what happened in the RG Kar College. Women are not safe in Bengal, and if people are questioning her, she must answer,” Ghosh stated.

Amit Malviya Calls Mamata Banerjee a “Disgrace”

BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya shared a video of the event, claiming that members of the Bengali Hindu community had confronted Banerjee.

“Bengali Hindus confronted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Kellogg College in London, raising angry slogans over the rape and murder of a lady doctor at RG Kar, crimes against women in Sandeshkhali, the genocide of Hindus, and widespread corruption,” Malviya posted on X.

He further added, “She is a disgrace to West Bengal. The Hindu Bengali diaspora wants her out as CM for destroying Bengal’s legacy and putting them through such ignominy.”

Mamata Banerjee’s Response

Despite the interruptions, Mamata Banerjee attempted to maintain her composure. Addressing one of the protestors as “brother,” she remarked, “Please remember this... don’t do politics. It’s very easy to do politics here and create negative narratives.”

In a video shared by the TMC, Banerjee responded to the protestors with defiance, stating, “You encourage me. Please smile with the hope that Didi will come every time. Didi doesn’t get bothered, Didi doesn’t bother anybody. Didi walks just like a Royal Bengal Tiger—catch me if you can.”

The Trinamool Congress hailed her resilience, posting, “She doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. Mamata Banerjee is a Royal Bengal Tiger!”

Protesters Demand Accountability

The protest was organized by SFI-UK, which later released a statement explaining their opposition to Banerjee’s speech.

“SFI-UK held a demonstration at Kellogg College, Oxford, against Mamata Banerjee’s speech. We opposed her blatant lies by asking her for evidence of the social development she claims to pioneer. Instead of allowing us to express our opinions peacefully, the police were called... In support of the students and working masses of West Bengal, SFI-UK raised its voice in opposition to Mamata Banerjee and the TMC’s corrupt, undemocratic rule,” the statement read.