Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, April 16, made a blunder during a public gathering in Kolkata by stating that the state shares a border with Sri Lanka. The clip of her statement is now going viral on social media. The clip surfaced at the time when the state witnessed violence during protests against the Waqf Amendment Act. The video was also shared by West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sukanta Majumdar.
“Didi’s imagination has redrawn South Asia”. The BJP leader added that in “Mamata’s Bengal, facts are optional, logic is missing, and incompetence is a qualification,” Majumdar said in X post.
Majumdar’s Tweet:
The video is from the West Bengal CM’s public gathering at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium. Banerjee.
Netizens’ Reaction:
“She needs to read some primary school level geography books first , i feel crying to listen her speech and very sad to know about her knowledge in geography!” a user commented on Majumdar’s post.
“According to Bengal CM @MamataOfficial , the state now shares a border with… Sri Lanka! Someone please gift her a globe,” another user wrote.
Mamata Banerjee Addresses Gathering Attended By Imams:
Addressing the gathering attended by Imams, Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the Centre over the Waqf Act and the recent communal unrest in Murshidabad. She accused the BJP of of pushing a divisive agenda and failing to secure India’s borders.
She also questioned the BJP-led Central Government for enacting the Waqf Act in a haste. “I want to challenge and tell the Government of India – why were you so hurried about the Waqf Amendment? Didn’t you know the situation in Bangladesh? Bengal shares a border with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. I will be happy if it brings good to the country. But what is their plan?” Banerjee said in Bengali.
“To engage in riots by using certain agencies that facilitate movement of people from there? I saw a tweet yesterday quoting Home Ministry sources that Bangladesh is involved in this. If that is the case, the Central government is responsible since BSF guards the borders, not us,” the West Bengal CM targets the BJP.
“State government doesn’t have the responsibility to guard the borders. Why did they allow BJP thugs from outside to come and create chaos before fleeing the scene? Accountability must be fixed. They want to polarise and divide Hindus and Muslims. Don’t divide the country; unite all instead,” she added.
Violence broke out in Murshidabad during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act on April 11. The law has been a contentious issue in the region. The protests turned violent, resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to several others, with widespread property damage.
The West Bengal Police said 150 people have been arrested so far in connection with the Murshidabad violence, and adequate police forces have been deployed in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, and other affected areas of Murshidabad.
The BJP accused the TMC of supporting the protesters.