Mamata Banerjee clarifies 'snake' remark, says it was aimed at BJP, not students

Kolkata, August 29

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was in the eye of the storm over her remarks at the Trinamool Congress rally, on Thursday clarified that she was not against medical students or their movements but referring to a popular parable by Hindu mystic Ramakrishna Paramahamsa on a "snake that refused to hiss".

As per the parable, a monk advised a snake "not to bite anybody but surely hiss when attacked," meaning that "while not harming is the principle, protesting against injustice is right."

On Wednesday, while addressing an event to mark the foundation day of Trinamool Congress' students' wing, the Chief Minister referred to the parable reportedly to energise the activists of the student wings to oppose "propaganda" against her government on the issue of the rape and murder of a junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.

Soon after she made the statement, scathing criticisms flooded both from the opposition parties as well as from different walks of society claiming the Chief Minister was "instigating" her party followers to adopt the "path of revenge" to silence the voices of protest against the rape and murder.

The Chief Minister said that her "hiss" remark was not aimed at silencing the protests by the medical fraternity or students but to counter the "negative politics" of the BJP and the Union government against the state government.

"Let me most emphatically clarify that I have not uttered a single word against the (medical etc) students or their movements. I support their movement. Their movement is genuine. I never threatened them, as some people are accusing me of doing. This allegation is completely false. I have spoken against the BJP. I have spoken against them because, with the support of the Government of India, they are threatening the democracy in our State and trying to create anarchy. With support from the Centre, they are trying to create lawlessness and I have raised my voice against them,” read the statement from the Chief Minister posted on social media platform X.

She said that the phrase 'Phonsh Kora' (hissing), which she referred to, is a quote from Ramakrishna Paramahansa.

"The legendary saint had said that occasionally there is a need to raise one's voice. When there are crimes and criminal offences, a voice of protest has to be raised. My speech on that point was a direct allusion to the great Ramakrishnite saying," her post read.