The Trinamool Congress is unhappy with the “affairs” that led to the postponing by the Oxford Union Debating Society of a scheduled virtual address by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
A furious Trinamool leadership subsequently told the newsmen that the move to postpone the virtual address in the final moment “unprecedented”...
A senior leader said “A programme planned months ahead was cancelled a few minutes before the event was scheduled to start. This is not the first time that such a thing has happened. Earlier, too, her programmes at international fora and foreign visits have been cancelled at the eleventh hour. All sorts of pressure were applied from the highest level to stop Mamata Banerjee's address. We condemn such politics.”
Banerjee was would become the first Indian woman Chief Minister to address the “The Oxford Union Debate” had her programme was not cancelled. The organizers cancelled the programme at 1.50 pm just about an hour before it was scheduled to take place saying that “nothing prevails over circumstances sometimes.”
Bengal Home Department subsequently tweeted: “Today afternoon, the organisers have suddenly sought postponement and rescheduling of the programme at the last moment!” adding “The request has been made telephonically from the organizers” end, citing some unforeseen problems, a brief while ago. The programme with Oxford Union today stands cancelled.”
“I sincerely hope that the Hon'ble Chief Minister will understand and might honour us with her esteemed presence at the earliest possible convenience to you. With your permission, I will pass your details onto my successor, to whom I hand over this Friday,” an e-mail apology said.
Founded in 1823, the Oxford Union has hosted top world leaders as speakers, including US presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Regan, British Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, physicist Albert Einstein and spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Banerjee was expected to speak on a host of issues like her Government’s popular schemes like Kanyashree, Sabuj Saathi, Swasthya Saathi, Krishak Bandhu, Duarey Bangla etc that had earned worldwide acclaim and awards for the State Government in the past few years.
Incidentally in a similar development in 2018 drawing criticism from the opposition parties including the TMC when Banerjee’s pre-scheduled programme to mark Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary at Chicago, her scheduled visit to China and her address at St Stephen's collegein New Delhi were cancelled.