Mamata slams opposition for tarnishing her image ahead of London visit

    Kolkata, Mar 20 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised the BJP and the Left for attempting to tarnish her reputation over her upcoming visit to London to deliver a lecture at the University of Oxford, saying that attacking a leader ahead of a foreign trip damages the country's image.
    Banerjee acknowledged that political differences exist but insisted that no leader should be defamed before an international visit as they represent the country on such occasions.
    "There is no medicine to treat jealousy. The opposition is trying to malign me ahead of my visit to London. But by doing so, they are damaging the country's image," she said.
    To ensure smooth administration during her weeklong absence, Banerjee has formed a five-member task force along with a group of ministers (GOM).
    "I may be abroad, but both Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and I will be available over the phone in case of any emergency. The party affairs will be handled by Subrata Bakshi and Abhishek Banerjee," she added.
    Banerjee is scheduled to leave for London on March 21, with her lecture at Oxford University slated for March 27. During her stay, she will also meet industrialists on March 25 to seek investments for the state. She is expected to return between March 28 and 29. This will be her second visit to London, following a business meeting in Edinburgh in November 2017. The Centre approved her visit last week.
    While maintaining that she welcomes criticism as part of democracy, Banerjee condemned attempts to malign West Bengal on the international stage.
    "You can insult me, but don't try to tarnish Bengal's image abroad," she stated.
    Banerjee alleged that some groups had drafted messages to be sent to Oxford University in an attempt to discredit her and the state.
    "They are spreading misinformation through WhatsApp and emails. They are asking people to write to the university claiming that we are bad people from Bengal. This is a dirty game," she remarked, without naming any particular party.
    As part of her itinerary in the UK, Banerjee will attend a programme at the Indian High Commission on March 24, a government-to-government (G2G) programme on March 26, and another G2G event at Oxford on March 27.
    The CM said West Bengal has good relationship with UK and a team from that country also participated in the Bengal Global Business Summit.
    Senior BJP leader Shankar Ghosh dismissed Banerjee's allegations, claiming that she was merely reacting to legitimate questions about her governance.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)