'Those flying high will have to bow before Bengal'

Kolkata: Reacting on the postponement of her address at the Oxford Union debate, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said those insulting Bengal at present for political reasons will one day have to salute the state.

"I would like to say that those who are insulting Bengal for political reasons, will one day have to pay respect to the state by touching its feet," Banerjee said, adding that she was not hinting at the Oxford Union.

In reply to a question, she urged the media to inquire into the actual reason behind the postponement of her address at the Oxford Union debate at the last moment. "I may give a biased answer. So you all must find out the actual reason behind the same." She drew an analogy stating that "since the issue has been raised in this forum, I would like to say that people should remember that when the storm is over, the kite that was flying high in the sky, looks for its shelter. Similarly, a day will come when those who are 'flying high' now, will have to come and submit to the people of Bengal."

Banerjee was scheduled to address the Oxford Union debate from 2.30 pm on Wednesday and she would have been the first Indian woman leader and an administrative head to address the forum where US Presidents, British Prime Ministers and legends like Albert Einstein, Michael Jackson had addressed. But the Oxford Union Debating Society postponed the virtual address at the last moment citing "unforeseen circumstances".

Suspecting a deep rooted conspiracy behind it, the Trinamool Congress leadership believes that "tremendous pressure from the topmost levels" led to the postponement of the Chief Minister's address in the international platform just 15 minutes before its scheduled time to start.