Mamata condemns arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi

Kolkata: Accusing the BJP of using its IT cell to intimidate educationists in the state by posing as Trinamool Congress supporter, Chief Minister and party's chairperson Mamata Banerjee hit out at the saffron brigade for fetching conspiracy to defame and create a misconception about her party ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.

In the same breath, she also condemned the arrest of the 22-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi. "They are arresting everyone starting from noted journalists to social activists. But, they must first take action against its own IT cell that is committing the crime of spreading fake news. Why will there be two sets of rules? It is something unacceptable that one will get arrested just because of raising voice against policies of the government," Banerjee said.

Stating about the information that was shared to her by two professors of Jadavpur University, Banerjee said: "The professors received a call from an unknown number and the caller posed himself as a supporter of Trinamool Congress. Starting with soft words, the callers ended up leaving distorted facts about the party.

It led to the suspicion of the educationists that a person who claims himself to be a supporter of Trinamool Congress, cannot use such words for the same. Henceforth, they informed us of the matter."

"I am quite sure that none apart from the BJP's IT cell is behind such mischief. All these are their conspiracy to defame us ahead of the elections," Banerjee said adding that it was none other than the Union Home Minister Amit Shah who had stated that they can establish a lie to be true through their 50 lakh WhatsApp groups.

Banerjee urged the people not to entertain if they receive any such phone calls.