"Leaders should not be criticised': Congress MP Pramod Tiwari after Mamata Banerjee faced protests at Oxford

New Delhi [India], March 28 (ANI): Congress leader Pramod Tiwari attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was heckled by students during her speech at Kellogg College, London and said that leaders who go abroad should be allowed to express themselved.
"Whatever happened with Mamata Banerjee, her party will speak over that and will give their reaction...but this a very bad tradition started by the BJP. If their (BJP) leaders go abroad, they (BJP) gather people and raise their voices in support...I believe that India's image should not be maligned at the international level...So, whoever goes abroad for a speech or lecture, at that time, the leaders should not be criticised. They should be given a chance to express themselves," Tiwari told ANI.
Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy condemned the behaviour of a group of people who protested against Mamata Banerjee at Oxford University's Kellogg College in London and said that the Students Federation of India in the UK (SFI UK) did this to get "publicity."
"I totally condemn this (behaviour by the students with Mamata Banerjee at the university where she was giving a speech). Oxford University is not Mamata's owns place, she went there on her own invitation. So what can we do it. It is for the university authority and England police to take steps in this matter. There is no reason they have done this except to get publicity. Mamata Banerjee is an elected Chief Minister of the state," Roy told ANI.
This comes after CM Mamata Banerjee faced protests by a group of people at Oxford University's Kellogg College in London on Thursday, where she was questioned regarding the RG Kar College case and post-poll violence in West Bengal.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Malviya shared a video where he claimed that the people seen in the video, purportedly belonging to the Bengali Hindus community had confronted CM Mamata Banerjee at Kellogg College in London.
"Bengali Hindus confront West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Kellogg College in London, raising angry slogans calling her out for the rape and murder of the lady doctor at RG Kar, crimes against women in Sandeshkhali, the genocide of Hindus, and widespread corruption," Amit Malviya posted on X.
The BJP leader further called Mamata Banerjee a "disgrace" to West Bengal.
"Just a few posters that were held up to Mamata Banerjee... She is a disgrace to West Bengal. The Hindu Bengali diaspora wants her out as the Chief Minister for destroying Bengal's legacy and putting them through such ignominy," he added.
The Video posted by the BJP showed the West Bengal CM facing several interruptions during which someone in the audience raised a question about the Hindus in Bengal.
"I am for all, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians," Banerjee responded, which was followed by "Go back" slogans from a section of the audience.
The Chief Minister addressed one of the protesters as "brother" and said, "Please remember this... and don't do politics. It's very easy to do politics here and create negative narratives."
In a video from the interaction posted by the Trinamool Congress, the Chief Minister then responded to the protestors saying, "You encourage me, Please smile with a hope that Didi will come every time, Didi don't get bothered, Didi don't bother anybody, Didi walk just like a Royal Bengal Tiger and if you can catch me me."
Posting the video, Trinamool Congress said, "She (Mamata Banerjee) doesn't flinch. She doesn't falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. Mamata Banerjee is a Royal Bengal Tiger!"
In a statement, the Students Federation of India in the UK (SFI UK) took responsibility for the protests, saying, "SFI-UK held a demonstration in 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...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." (ANI)