Mamata Hits Back at Bangladesh Leaders Over Bengal, Bihar, Odisha Claim
�Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday warned some Bangladeshi politicians that the Indians would not sit down to have a “lollipop” to their claim to take over Bengal along with two other neighbouring states.
Her swipe to the Bangladeshi leaders came on a day when Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka and held meetings with the officials of the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus in wake of the attacks on the Hindu community in the neighbouring country.
The Trinamul Congress supremo, who was speaking at the state assembly during the winter session, also appealed to all the political parties to stay calm. Recently, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader threatened at a rally in Dhaka to grab Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.
Reacting to this, Ms Banerjee told the House, “When you reach here to take over, will we have lollipops? Don’t think we will remain seated. We should not comment in such a way that would instigate communal violence. All people are protesting in their capacity.”
She said, “We are not taking it well. Those who are miscreants instigate riots. We do not need riots, we need peace. What a section of the media is doing is not right. We can’t ban them like Uttar Pradesh. We are appealing that they should not do this. A political party is also instigating. Don’t do this.”
The CM further observed, “Many are trying to come to India from Bangladesh. The BSF is monitoring this. I would not comment on this. It is not our area. Our foreign secretary went there. In our state, even imams have condemned the comments and attacks on minorities in Bangladesh."
She pointed out, "The same blood flows in the veins of Hindus and Muslims and all other communities. We must all work together to ensure nothing is done to aggravate the situation in West Bengal. West Bengal is the first state in the country where people irrespective of caste, creed or community staged collective protest against the situation in Bangladesh."
