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Journalism of Courage
Days after a 17-year-old undergraduate student died at Jadavpur University campus after allegedly falling from a hostel balcony, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday alleged that “Marxists and Leftists” were behind the youth’s death and accused them of working in “cahoots with the BJP and the Congress”. The CPI(M) hit back at the CM and accused her of trying to “shift the blame”.
Addressing a public meeting in Kolkata’s Behala area on the eve of Independence Day, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief said, “Jadavpur means terror… I spoke to the boy’s father and he said his son was being tortured for the past few days. His father was planning to visit the hostel. The man said his son had been thrown from the building after being tortured…Who are these people? They are Marxists and Leftists. Even today, they are in cahoots with the BJP and Congress in Bengal. They consider Trinamool to be their enemy,” said Banerjee.
“They do not allow university authorities to install CCTVs on the campus nor do they allow the police to enter,” the CM added. “There are some hardcore CPI(M) supporters there (in Jadavpur University). They think when students from villages come to study there, they have a right to torment and humiliate them. The boy did not have clothes on him. Just a towel was on him. Maybe someone later put it on the body. Who knows?” she said.
The chief minister also urged the youth to not join the CPI(M) or the BJP if they were interested in politics, as the two parties were “demonic forces”.
Banerjee criticised the BJP-led Centre over the communal violence reported in Manipur and Haryana. “We don’t have independence in the country under BJP’s rule. I ask Modiji, do we have independence in Kashmir? Do we have independence in Manipur? In Manipur, children are not getting milk. There is no drinking water. There is a fire burning in Haryana too.”
Reacting to the chief minister’s comments, CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “When the people of the state are looking forward to an exemplary punishment for culprits in the JU incident, the chief minister is trying to shift blame. Is she trying to influence the police probe fearing that TMC men may be involved. Or is she trying to shield the incompetent JU authorities?”
Meanwhile, the CM also felicitated beneficiaries of the ‘Kanyashree’ scheme during an event organised on ‘Kanyashree Divas’ on Monday. Launched in 2012 by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, ‘Kanyashree’ is a state-sponsored scholarship scheme for girls aged between 13 and 19 years. The chief minister felicitated 39 students for their contribution to various fields.
Highlighting the achievements of the Kanyashree scheme, the CM said, “Kanyashree is a brand whose story is written in golden words. I strongly believe that this day (Kanyashree Divas) will be celebrated all over the world and not only in India as the International Girl Child Day. I went to the Netherlands to get the award (the United Nations Public Service Award in 2017). I was so proud. The logo is designed by me. I wrote the lyrics and music for the Kanyashree theme song too,” the chief minister said.
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