Mamata Banerjee condemns hate speech, says must raise voice to protect democracy

The West Bengal CM said that fundamental and democratic rights of the people should be thought about

The Congress is not the only party in the Opposition talking peace, and a fight against hate, as it concluded its Bharat Jodo Yatra with Rahul Gandhi’s emotional speech delivered in Srinagar. Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee,on Monday, condemned hate speech, suggesting it should be ‘blacked out’.

Addressing the gathering at the inauguration of International Kolkata Book Fair, Banerjee said that Bengal is the ‘soil of culture’, and is considered the national capital of culture. “We must raise our voice to protect democracy,” she said, adding that besides politics, there should be a thinking about ‘original’ history, geography, humanity, and the Constitution.

The chief minister said that fundamental and democratic rights of the people should be thought about. “We want that type of thinking… the government of the people, by the people, for the people,” she said, without naming political parties.

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“Not hate speech. I condemn hate speech, it should be blacked out,” Banerjee said, as she clarified that she is not talking obstructing anybody’s right to express. “Please be polite. Instead of saying negatively, speak positively,” she said.

Banerjee said that negativity has turned into a way of thinking. “Let us speak (of) unity, unity for the world… We want peace and prosperity,” she said, mentioning that the fight is against hunger, poverty, and for women empowerment, for the younger generation. “Not war, but peace should be our motto,” she said.

Incidentally, Kolkata was also the venue of actor Shahrukh Khan’s viral speech last month when he had mentioned about ‘positive people’ being alive, despite all odds.

The chief minister said that she learns from criticism. She offered six new books written by her, recalling that she has already published 128 books, and four to five books are under the process of being published.

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Banerjee added that it’s apt to hold a book fair in Delhi too. “Bengal’s book fair will take place in Delhi. All districts will participate irrespective of caste, creed, community or religion. We will invite other countries too,” she said, promising all support for such an initiative.

Besides international participants, participants from New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Tripur, Jharkhand, Bihar and Punjab are also part of the book fair.