Protests mar Mamata’s London visit; ‘Didi walks like royal Bengal tiger,’ she retorts

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s maiden speech at Kellogg College, Oxford University in London on Thursday (March 27) was marred by protests by left-wing students, and she responded by calling herself a “Royal Bengal Tiger”.

“You encourage me. Didi will come every time. Didi does not bother anybody. Didi walks like a Royal Bengal Tiger. If you can catch me, catch me!” Mamata told the protesters.

The Trinamool Congress shared a clip of her Oxford speech on X with the caption, “She doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. Smt @MamataOfficial is a Royal Bengal Tiger!”

SFI protest

During Mamata’s speech, a group of students belonging to the UK unit of CPI(M)’s Student Federation of India (SFI) held up placards questioning her over violence during the panchayat elections in 2023, the alleged rape of a minor girl by the son of a TMC leader, and Mamata’s statement in 2012 that rapes occur because men and women interact more freely now, “like an open market”.

The TMC chief was however unfazed by the protest, and told the protesters, “You are welcoming me, thank you. I will feed you sweets.”

When the students raised questions about the RG Kar rape case, she said, “Please raise your voice. It’s a democracy. I will listen carefully.”

She said that the central government had taken over the case and that the state government had no role to play. She urged the students not to indulge in politics.

Also Read: Is the spat with Tamil Nadu forcing the Centre to mend ties with Bengal?

Don't do politics here: Mamata tells protesters

“Please don’t do politics here. It is not a political state. You can do politics with me in my state. Not here. Go to Bengal and tell your party to be stronger, to fight against the communal people. Don’t fight with me,” she said.

Mamata then held up a 1990 photo of her injured and covered in bandages after an alleged assault by a CPI(M) youth wing worker Lalu Alam, who walked away free of any charges in 2019 due to lack of evidence.

“I was about to die. These are your atrocities,” the Bengal chief minister accused the Left.

A disgrace to Bengal: BJP

BJP’s Amit Malviya shared a video on X claiming that members of the Bengali Hindu community had confronted Mamata Banerjee 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.”

Malviya called Mamata “a disgrace to Bengal”.

He said that the Hindu Bengali diaspora wanted her out as the chief minister for “destroying Bengal’s legacy and putting them through such ignominy”.

Also Read: TMC flaunts Mamatanomics growth model, but is Bengal truly shining?

The BJP leader also said that Mamata disagreed with a claim made by somebody during the discussion after her speech at Kellog College that it is predicted India will be the first economy in the world by 2060.

“West Bengal Chief Minister has a problem with India becoming the world’s largest economy. This is truly shameful. She is a disgrace to the constitutional office she holds. Who behaves like this on foreign soil?” posted Malviya on X.

Mamata’s speech

During her speech, she stressed the importance of inclusive development and stated that division in society is counterproductive.

"If I die, before my death, I want to see unity. Unity is our strength, and division leads to our fall. This was Swami Vivekananda's belief. Keeping unity is a difficult task, but dividing people takes only a moment. Do you think the world can sustain such divisive ideology?" she questioned.

"When I am in the chair, I cannot divide society. I have to look after the weaker sections and the poor. We have to work hard for them. At the same time, we must work for all religions, castes, and creeds together, move forward with them, and help them," she said.

Banerjee, who heads the Trinamool Congress, was speaking on “Social Development – Girl, Child and Women Empowerment in West Bengal”.

Also Read: Mamata aiming for 215+ seats in 2026 Bengal polls

Pointing to West Bengal's diversity, she said people in the state celebrate all festivals together without discrimination.

"We have about 11 crore people in our state - almost like a big country. Our beauty lies in the fact that more than 33 per cent of our people belong to minority communities, including Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Gorkhas. Around 6 per cent are tribals, and 23 per cent belong to Scheduled Castes. People of every caste, creed, and religion love each other," she said.

Banerjee underlined the need for a human-centric approach to governance.

"Our mission is to ensure that there is no discrimination among students, women, farmers, and workers. We must consider all people as human beings. Without humanity, this world cannot run, continue, or sustain - I firmly believe so," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)