<p> Tanya Bhardwaj, the student branded as ‘CPM cadre’ and ‘Maoist’ by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before she stormed off the stage of an interactive session organised by a national television channel, is now feeling petrified and is mulling over the idea of leaving the city.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The third year student of Presidency University, who holds offers from the University College, London, and the School of Oriental and African Studies to study development and administration, said: “I’m yet to decide on that. I have some offers from London. But I really love Kolkata”. <br /><br />Referring to Mamata’s frequently aired regret about being unable to stop the “brain-drain”, or exit of talented youngsters from Bengal, Tanya said, “I too will probably leave, and now you know the reason why”.<br /><br />Tanya became a victim of the Chief Minister’s wrath after she asked her some uncomfortable questions related to a Minister’s remark in the Park Street rape case, as well as the conduct of Trinamool leader Arabul Islam towards a college teacher recently.<br /><br />“You are a CPM activist and I’m not here to answer CPM-backed questions.You are a Maoist. Go back to the jungles,” Mamata snapped at her, before unclipping her microphone and storming off the stage in apoplectic rage.<br /><br />“What happened was really disappointing but I don’t want to be the centre of attraction or get dragged into any further controversy,” Tanya, who is afraid of reprisal, said.<br /><br />Initially this brilliant student and a champion debater was really glad when the Chief Minister preferred to sit with students than on the dais, but the admiration was short-lived since it quickly became apparent that any sort of perceived criticism of the current regime would not be tolerated. <br /><br />Later, the police even asked the CNN-IBN, which aired the interactive session, to furnish the phone numbers of the students involved. “I did not behave rudely with her. But she was in a position where she could walk out and she did exactly that,” she said.<br /><br />“It would’ve been much better if she (Mamata) had simply avoided the question and not kicked up such a drama. This would’ve made the matter much simpler and she wouldn’t have become the centre of attraction,” she rued. </p>
<p> Tanya Bhardwaj, the student branded as ‘CPM cadre’ and ‘Maoist’ by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before she stormed off the stage of an interactive session organised by a national television channel, is now feeling petrified and is mulling over the idea of leaving the city.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The third year student of Presidency University, who holds offers from the University College, London, and the School of Oriental and African Studies to study development and administration, said: “I’m yet to decide on that. I have some offers from London. But I really love Kolkata”. <br /><br />Referring to Mamata’s frequently aired regret about being unable to stop the “brain-drain”, or exit of talented youngsters from Bengal, Tanya said, “I too will probably leave, and now you know the reason why”.<br /><br />Tanya became a victim of the Chief Minister’s wrath after she asked her some uncomfortable questions related to a Minister’s remark in the Park Street rape case, as well as the conduct of Trinamool leader Arabul Islam towards a college teacher recently.<br /><br />“You are a CPM activist and I’m not here to answer CPM-backed questions.You are a Maoist. Go back to the jungles,” Mamata snapped at her, before unclipping her microphone and storming off the stage in apoplectic rage.<br /><br />“What happened was really disappointing but I don’t want to be the centre of attraction or get dragged into any further controversy,” Tanya, who is afraid of reprisal, said.<br /><br />Initially this brilliant student and a champion debater was really glad when the Chief Minister preferred to sit with students than on the dais, but the admiration was short-lived since it quickly became apparent that any sort of perceived criticism of the current regime would not be tolerated. <br /><br />Later, the police even asked the CNN-IBN, which aired the interactive session, to furnish the phone numbers of the students involved. “I did not behave rudely with her. But she was in a position where she could walk out and she did exactly that,” she said.<br /><br />“It would’ve been much better if she (Mamata) had simply avoided the question and not kicked up such a drama. This would’ve made the matter much simpler and she wouldn’t have become the centre of attraction,” she rued. </p>