NEW DELHI: West Bengal leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday launched a fierce attack on CM Mamata Banerjee, calling her a “traitor” over her remarks during her recent visit to the United Kingdom.
“Mamata Banerjee is a traitor… I have written to S Jaishankar to bring all the footage and take strict action against her. Action should be taken against the traitor,” Adhikari said.
In a letter to EAM Jaishankar, Adhikari demanded a ban on Mamata’s foreign visits, alleging that she had “deliberately tarnished India’s reputation on foreign soil.”
The row stems from Banerjee’s address at Oxford University’s Kellogg College, where she appeared to “downplay” India’s economic growth. When a speaker mentioned that India had surpassed the UK as the world’s fifth-largest economy and was projected to become the largest by 2060, Banerjee responded, “I will differ that.”
Adhikari termed her response “treasonous” and an “embarrassment for every Bengali and Indian.” He accused Banerjee of displaying “admiration for colonial rulers” and urged the ministry of external affairs to investigate her statements. Citing guidelines that require MEA approval for official foreign visits, he suggested her comments should be grounds for disqualification.
Banerjee’s UK visit also saw protests at Kellogg College, where demonstrators questioned her stance on election violence in West Bengal and the RG Kar College case. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya shared a video of the protests, criticizing Banerjee’s remarks. “West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has a problem with India becoming the world’s largest economy… This is truly shameful,” he posted on X.
The Trinamool Congress has yet to respond to the allegations.
