Mamata Banerjee's speech at Kellog College at University of Oxford was met with some resistance from the Students' Federation of India - United Kingdom.
While delivering a lecture on "Social Development – Girl, Child, and Women Empowerment in West Bengal" to an audience of 200 people, the Bengal chief minister found herself facing the heat for "students not being allowed into the venue".
Mayukh Biswas, General Secretary of SFI India, claimed that the tickets to the event were mostly booked by "Trinamool supporters" and "pro-TMC business people".
"Students were not actually allowed into the venue. A few SFI students used the emergency exit to crash into the venue to make sure they get a chance to counter West Bengal CM's lies," he said.
The protestors, holding posters and vehemently raising slogans, raised a hue and cry over various issues, including the RG Kar rape and murder case.
'Politics over London visit'
SFI UK had shot a letter to the college administration enumerating reasons why it is inappropriate to consider Mamata Banerjee for the lecture. "The college clearly neglected and not even acknowledged the letter of SFI UK and their concerns. SFI submitted facts and figures and not imaginations. So the politics was evident. It was a well-calculated to boost the image of Mamata on her London visit. And just before departure from India, she announced that no one should question anything when she is abroad, indicating the portrayal of protesters as the anti-national (similar to sangh parivar)"
Protesters held up posters with slogans on issues ranging from Tata's Singur exit, poll violence in West Bengal to RG Kar rape and murder case The Telegraph
Mercury rises over RG Kar rape and murder case
The situation escalated into an exchange of words, with one protester accusing her, "You killed Abhaya."
A calm and composed Mamata replied, "I don't mind, please raise your voice. This is a democracy. I will listen carefully."
"Do you know the case is subjudice? Central government has taken over, the case is no longer with us," she further explained.
When the protesters brought up the Jadavpur University incident, she promptly replied, "You are lying. I have special affection for you, but don't try to make this political."
"If you want to make it a political, go to Bengal and tell your party to strengthen itself so that it can fight with us," she added.
In a dramatic act of resistance, Mamata pulled out a printout from the 1990s showing her injured and bandaged.
Mamata calls out left atrocities with a poster of picture of herself injured in the 1990s Screengrab
"First, see my picture, how an attempt was made to kill me. I was about to die. This is your atrocity," she said.
As no sign of cooling down was visible from the protesters' end, Mamata remarked, "You are not insulting me, you are disrespecting your institution."
One protester asked, "Mamata di, any word for Hindus?"
"I am for all. I am for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians. I am for unity. You people are not," she replied in a slightly agitated tone.
The CM seemed to be a little worked up by now but she continued, "The same thing can be repeated when your leaders visit."
Taking a dig, she addressed the protesters as her 'ultra-left friends' & 'left friends' and said, "I love that you’ve fulfilled your agenda. My best wishes to you. Have a good sleep."
Turning a deaf ear to the agitating students, Mamata shifted her focus to the dignitaries present in the audience, highlighting her cordial relationship with Oxford academics and her future plans.
The audience cheered as she concluded with a grin and said, "Didi walks like a royal Bengal tiger. If you can catch me, catch me."
Biswas, however, maintained that "It was a show of Trinamool's intolerance towards questions and criticism, but SFI-UK will continue to uphold the rights of the students and the larger ideological vision."