Mamata Banerjee

BJP's legislative team in the Assembly, as promised, did not seek any division in the vote for passing the bill.

In this interview to IANS, the former CM spoke on a range of issues including the rape and murder case of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical and Hospital in Kolkata to Jharkhand politics given the coming Assembly polls in the state.

Speaking at a rally organized by the TMC's student wing in Kolkata on Wednesday, Banerjee remarked, "If Bengal is set on fire, it will have repercussions in Assam, the northeast, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi." Majumdar responded by questioning whether Banerjee realized that her words could provoke unrest in neighboring states, insinuating that she might be echoing the sentiments of disruptive elements from a neighboring country.

Ms Banerjee, who has been on the back foot following a country-wide furore over the heinous rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, recently said at a function, "Modi babu, you are trying to create unrest in Bengal through your people. But remember, if you burn Bengal, Assam, Northeast, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Delhi will burn too."

On one occasion, the story goes, a monk instructed a snake "not to bite anybody but surely hiss when attacked," implying that "while not harming is the principle, protesting against injustice is right."

Singh attacked the state's lawlessness and said, "West Bengal is in total anarchy. It is unbelievable that the Chief Minister, being a woman, orders lathi charge, water cannons, and tear gas when protests are held against crimes related to women."

During the speech, Banerjee said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi engineered violence in West Bengal through BJP leaders. "If the BJP sets Bengal on fire, the states of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Delhi too will suffer," she said.