'Don't do it, brother': Mamata Banerjee reacts in the face of rude shock at Oxford college

Chaos broke out during West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's lecture at Kellogg College in Oxford on Thursday when some students, purportedly belonging to the Students Federation of India (SFI) —a student organisation affiliated to the CPI(M) — showed her placards and started asking her questions about the RG Kar rape/murder case and other incidents.

Banerjee, who was speaking about the social welfare schemes introduced by her in West Bengal and how the state is attracting investments, had to stop her speech and engage in a verbal duel with the protesters. Addressing the protesting crowd as "brother", Banerjee said, "Don't do it, brother. Don't do it. I have special affection for you. We love all of you. But, don't try to make it a political platform. If you want to make it a political platform, go to Bengal and tell your party to be stronger, to fight against the communal people. Don't fight with me."

The Chief Minister held up a black and white photograph from 1990 that showed her injured and wrapped in bandages from an alleged murderous assault on her by Lalu Alam, a CPI(M) youth wing worker. In 2019, Lalu Alam walked free due to lack of evidence in the case.

On the RG Kar incident, the Chief Minister said the investigation into the case was carried out by a central agency and the matter was still sub judice. Replying to a protester who alleged that Hindus were being given a raw deal in West Bengal, Banerjee said people of all castes and communities were living happily in West Bengal. The West Bengal CM asked the protesters to join her in her fight against communalism and said their actions today would encourage her to come to Oxford twice every year.

The protesters were forced to leave the auditorium after which Banerjee completed her speech and then take part in a discussion with Jonathan Miichie, president of Kellogg College, and Karan Billmoria, a member of the House of Lords and recipient of the Pravasi Bharti Samman (2008).

She asked the college authorities to set up a campus in West Bengal.

The TMC later posted on X. "She doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. Smt. @MamataOfficial is a Royal Bengal Tiger!"

Owning the protest, the SFI wrote on X, "The 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 peacefully express our opinions, the police were called."

BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya wrote, "The usually belligerent Mamata Banerjee, ensconced in the protection of the West Bengal Police, was a meek shadow of herself at Kellogg College when angry Hindu Bengalis confronted her with slogans condemning her for the genocide of Hindus and the numerous cases of rape and murder of women, including those at RG Kar and Sandeshkhali."