'Those living in Bengal will have to learn to speak Bengali': Mamata Banerjee makes Bangla pitch

Kanchrapara: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday insisted that those living in West Bengal will have to learn to speak in Bengali.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also reiterated that outsiders instigated the doctors’ agitation in the state and accused the BJP of targeting the Bengalis and the minorities.

“Outsiders are instigating the doctors. I had rightly said that they were involved in yesterday’s protest. I had seen some outsiders raising slogans (at SSKM hospital),” she said while addressing a rally here.

Alleging that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the recently held Lok Sabha elections were “programmed”, Banerjee also said that ballot papers should be brought back for conducting polls.

“Just because they (BJP) won a few seats by programming the EVMs, it doesn’t mean that they can beat up Bengalis and minorities. We will not tolerate this,” the chief minister said. “The police will take action against the hooligans. If someone is living in Bengal, he or she has to learn Bengali,” she added.