Mamata defends '...Delhi, Assam too shall burn' remark; calls out 'malicious disinformation campaign'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday defended her remarks made on BJP's 'Bangla Bandh' protests, clarifying that her comments were made against the Bharatiya Janata Party.

She claimed that there is a 'malicious disinformation campaign' after a speech she delivered on Wednesday.

"I detect a malicious disinformation campaign in some print, electronic and digital media which has been unleashed with reference to a speech that I made in our students' programme yesterday. Let me most emphatically clarify that I have not uttered a single word against the (medical etc.) students or their movements. I totally support their movement. Their movement is genuine. I never threatened them, as some people are accusing me of doing. This allegation is completely false," Mamata said in a statement posted on social media platform X.



The TMC Supremo further in her statement accused the BJP of 'threatening the democracy' in West Bengal, and linked the Centre in the mix.

"I have spoken against them because, with the support of the Government of India, they are threatening the democracy in our State and trying to create anarchy. With support from Centre, they are trying to create lawlessness and I have raised my voice against them," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

She also clarified that the phrase ("phonsh kara") that she used in her speech on August 28 was a quote from Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa Deva.

"The legendary saint had said that occasionally there is need to raise one's voice. When there are crimes and criminal offences, voice of protest has to be raised. My speech on that point was a direct allusion to the great Ramakrishnite saying," the TMC matriarch said further.

On Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee condemned the BJP's 12-hour 'Bengal Bandh,' calling it an attempt to "defame" West Bengal.

In a speech at a Trinamool 'Chhatra Parishad' foundation day event in Kolkata, the Chief Minister responded to the BJP's 'Bengal Bandh' call by accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using his party to stoke unrest in Bengal over the recent rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor.

"Some people think this is Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh; they speak like us and share our culture. But remember, Bangladesh is a separate country, and India is a separate country. Modi Babu is using his party to cause fire here. If you burn Bengal, Assam, North-East, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi too shall burn! We will topple your chair," Mamata Banerjee had said.

These remarks from the West Bengal Chief Minister ignited widespread criticism from the BJP, and the Chief Ministers of the states mentioned in her speech.