Mamata Banerjee’s salvo at BJP over Amartya Sen; claims BSF ‘unleashed terror’

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP for “insulting” Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and reiterated her call to defeat it in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, reported news agency PTI.

Speaking in the state assembly, Banerjee said the country should strive to bring in a “people’s government to end anarchy”. The BJP has stooped low enough to insult a Nobel laureate (Amartya Sen),” Banerjee said.

Visva-Bharati university has been claiming that Sen is in possession of 1.38 acres of land which is in excess of his entitlement of 1.25 acres. The economist repeatedly denied the charge. The West Bengal CM recently came out in support of the economist and handed over land-related documents to the octogenarian during a visit to Birbhum district.

In an apparent reference to BJP president JP Nadda’s recent remark on violence and corruption in Bengal, Banerjee, in the assembly, asserted that her state happens to have a better law and order situation than other parts of the country.

Banerjee also claimed that the Border Security Force or BSF has “unleashed terror” in the bordering areas of the state. “Innocent people are being killed in bordering areas. The Centre never bothers to send fact-finding teams to look into these killings,” she alleged.

Mocking the Centre’s notification asking people to hug a cow on Valentine’s Day, which was later withdrawn, Banerjee wondered what would happen if the cow hits the person. “If the cow hits us, what will happen? Will they (BJP) pay us compensation,” she added.