A video clip of a fuming Mamata Banerjee walking out of a talk show on national television after calling students “CPM cadres and Maoists” went viral in the social media over the weekend, spelling a public relations disaster for the ruling party and the chief minister herself. Trinamool Congress managers had a torrid time defending the CM as public opinion flowed freely on Facebook and Twitter. People in the city, across India and various parts of the world expressed shock, surprise, anger and exasperation at the CM’s vitriolic attack on students seated among the Town Hall audience for ‘Question Time Didi’, an interactive session organized by CNN-IBN. There was no official word from the government but it was perhaps the mood in cyberspace that prompted the Trinamool to choose the same platform to make itself heard. Spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien led the party’s damage-control exercise online and rued that a few mistakes were being “amplified” at the cost of the government’s good work.
But with the channel airing the programme on Friday and Saturday and the internet video playing across office-rooms, coffee-table meets and in hundreds of households as people shared, tweeted and retweeted the link, there was little the Trinamool managers could do. The stunned look on Taniya Bhardwaj’s face, as the CM castigated her, said much more about the state of Bengal than the sugar-coated explanations the Trinamool offered.
During the discussion at Town Hall last Friday, Taniya had merely wanted to know whether Trinamool leaders like Madan Mitra and Arabul Islam should act more responsibly. But the CM thundered back, “You are a CPM cadre. There are 50 people in the audience and you have been picked to ask these sorts of questions. You have narrowed down the discussion to only three points. The CPM and Maoists have come together and are planting stories. They are Maoist students. I refuse to answer such questions. I will reply to the common man. You belong to the SFI cadre.” Then, she took off her lapel microphone and walked out.The programme on Friday had started cordially enough with a beaming Mamata saying how she likes to share space with the people rather than occupy a chair on the dais. The audience comprised members of the Trinamool camp like thespians Saoli Mitra and Arpita Das and artist Suvaprasanna as well as professors and students from institutions like Jadavpur University, Presidency University and IIMC. Asked about her reaction to Time magazine naming her as one of the most powerful women on earth, Mamata attributed her success to the people of the state. The first couple of questions went off quite well.
Then, S Munshi, a former IIMC professor, wanted to know whether human rights were being protected. The CM replied, “Maoists can’t be tolerated. We love democracy and not goons and guns.” For the next question, when the anchor selected a student from Jadavpur University, Mamata reacted sharply. Why only Jadavpur University? Aren’t there more universities here like Rabindra Bharati? But the girl went ahead and asked the CM about the Park Street rape case. By then, tension was building up at the venue. Mamata went ahead nonetheless and said the chargesheet had been filed. Taniya’s question was next. “I have nothing to do with the Maoists. She put a label on me just like she put a label on the Park Street rape victim. I didn’t say anything to provoke her,” the student said after Mamata left in a huff.
Soon, the social media was buzzing. From “I must tell you this, you are a CPM cadre! is going to be my favorite Mamata Banerjee quote ever”, to “Kudos girl! to Taniya Bhardwaj” and even “Being a CM it is her duty to answer any question, be it on Maoist or fascist,” started doing the rounds of Facebook.
But with the channel airing the programme on Friday and Saturday and the internet video playing across office-rooms, coffee-table meets and in hundreds of households as people shared, tweeted and retweeted the link, there was little the Trinamool managers could do. The stunned look on Taniya Bhardwaj’s face, as the CM castigated her, said much more about the state of Bengal than the sugar-coated explanations the Trinamool offered.
During the discussion at Town Hall last Friday, Taniya had merely wanted to know whether Trinamool leaders like Madan Mitra and Arabul Islam should act more responsibly. But the CM thundered back, “You are a CPM cadre. There are 50 people in the audience and you have been picked to ask these sorts of questions. You have narrowed down the discussion to only three points. The CPM and Maoists have come together and are planting stories. They are Maoist students. I refuse to answer such questions. I will reply to the common man. You belong to the SFI cadre.” Then, she took off her lapel microphone and walked out.The programme on Friday had started cordially enough with a beaming Mamata saying how she likes to share space with the people rather than occupy a chair on the dais. The audience comprised members of the Trinamool camp like thespians Saoli Mitra and Arpita Das and artist Suvaprasanna as well as professors and students from institutions like Jadavpur University, Presidency University and IIMC. Asked about her reaction to Time magazine naming her as one of the most powerful women on earth, Mamata attributed her success to the people of the state. The first couple of questions went off quite well.
Then, S Munshi, a former IIMC professor, wanted to know whether human rights were being protected. The CM replied, “Maoists can’t be tolerated. We love democracy and not goons and guns.” For the next question, when the anchor selected a student from Jadavpur University, Mamata reacted sharply. Why only Jadavpur University? Aren’t there more universities here like Rabindra Bharati? But the girl went ahead and asked the CM about the Park Street rape case. By then, tension was building up at the venue. Mamata went ahead nonetheless and said the chargesheet had been filed. Taniya’s question was next. “I have nothing to do with the Maoists. She put a label on me just like she put a label on the Park Street rape victim. I didn’t say anything to provoke her,” the student said after Mamata left in a huff.
Soon, the social media was buzzing. From “I must tell you this, you are a CPM cadre! is going to be my favorite Mamata Banerjee quote ever”, to “Kudos girl! to Taniya Bhardwaj” and even “Being a CM it is her duty to answer any question, be it on Maoist or fascist,” started doing the rounds of Facebook.
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