On March 28, Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to stop Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from making any future official foreign visits. In a letter to Jaishankar, Adhikari accused Banerjee of damaging India’s image on the global stage and causing embarrassment during her recent trip to the United Kingdom. Adhikari further alleged that Banerjee’s comments in London revealed an undue reverence for the country’s colonial rulers, describing such statements as “unthinkable” for a Bengali.
West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari writes to EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar, requesting him not to allow future foreign visits of Mamata Banerjee in her capacity as Chief Minister of West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/Umfo2rYE4J
— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2025
Referring to her speech at a business event in the UK, Mamata Banerjee said, “I love the UK because we have an emotional connection, a historical relationship… From a heritage perspective, both ours and yours. For 190 years, you ruled in India, and you ruled Bengal… Should we forget that? India always remembers you, and Bengal remembers you too.”
Criticising her remarks, Suvendu Adhikari emphasised that Bengal had played a crucial role in resisting British colonial rule during the independence movement. He argued that glorifying the colonial era was an affront to the sacrifices made by freedom fighters.
Banerjee Condemns Her Own Statement on India’s Economic Growth
Mamata Banerjee also condemned her remarks made at Oxford University’s Kellogg College, where she appeared to downplay India’s economic growth. During the event, a speaker highlighted that India had surpassed the UK as the world’s fifth-largest economy, with projections that it could become the largest by 2060. However, Banerjee disagreed, stating, “I will differ with that.”
Suvendu Adhikari criticised her statement as “simply treasonous” and an “embarrassment for the people of Bengal and India.” He accused Banerjee of deliberately damaging India’s reputation abroad, particularly by opposing the country’s economic rise.
The BJP leader called on the Ministry of External Affairs to conduct a “thorough investigation” into Banerjee’s comments and to prevent her from undertaking future official foreign visits. He pointed to existing regulations that require approval from the Ministry for such trips, suggesting that her remarks could be grounds for disqualification.
Banerjee’s UK visit was marked by controversy, with protests at Kellogg College. Demonstrators held placards questioning her stance on election-related violence in West Bengal and the RG Kar College case.
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