'Tarnished India’s reputation': BJP demands MEA to ban Mamata's future foreign visits

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday wrote a letter to external affairs minister S Jaishankar demanding a ban on Mamata Banerjee's travel to foreign countries in the capacity of West Bengal chief minister following "anti-India pitch" the TMC supremo made in UK.
In a letter to Jaishankar, leader of opposition in the assembly Suvendu Adhikari accused Mamata of displaying devotion and admiration for the country’s colonial rulers.

"West Bengal chief minister Smt. Mamata Banerjee, who went to the UK recently, with the permission and approval of the ministry of external affairs, has brought unimaginable shame to our country, especially to the People of West Bengal. We hang our heads in utter shame as because our "so-called representative" has deliberately and repeatedly undermined our country on the international stage," the letter read.

"Firstly, while meeting the business community of the UK during a business event in London, she stirred a controversy by praising the 'British Heritage' of '190-year British rule over India and Bengal'. She fondly spoke about "emotional relation with the UK and remembered the colonial times as a blissful passage of time," it added.
Adhikari also accused Mamata of undermining India's achievements on foreign soil after she differed with the prediction that India would become the world's first economy by 2060.
"This was just not it. She then did the unthinkable. Undermining India's achievements on foreign soil. During a Q&A session at the Kellogg College, Smt. Mamata Banerjee was asked about India's economic progress, leaving behind the UK as the fifth largest economy in the world. Her scepticism regarding India's economic progress is simply treasonous," Adhikari said.
"It is not only my opinion but a collective demand that Smt. Mamata Banerjee should not travel in future, to any foreign country, in the capacity of the chief minister of West Bengal, aided and assisted by Indian embassies and missions located overseas," Adhikari said.
"I hope you would consider my request and conduct a thorough probe to ascertain the anti India Pitch made by Smt. Mamata Banerjee in the UK and make sure that it is not repeated in the future," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, huge uproar erupted in the packed auditorium of Kellogg College at Oxford University as Mamata delivered her maiden speech.
During a conversation Mamata disagreed with a prediction that India would become the world's largest economy by 2060
"I will differ from that. There are so many things about which I should not speak here... internal and external affairs matters... I cannot disclose. I have some other opinions," Mamata said.
She went on to explain, "Because every country is facing trouble after Covid-19, and with the turmoil going on in the world... if an economic war-like situation is underway in the world, how do we expect that we will gain? Let us hope for the gain, we can only hope. It is our dream to see my country our best. But it depends."
During the event, CM Mamata was also interrupted suddenly by a group of protesting students, who tried to disrupt her speech by raising the issue of post-poll violence and the RG Kar College rape-murder case.