West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said efforts are underway to bring back Bengal tourists who remain stranded in violence-hit Nepal. She assured that the situation is being closely monitored and urged those stuck not to panic.
“I will appeal to the tourists stranded in Nepal not to panic. We will bring them back in a couple of days,” Banerjee said while addressing a public distribution programme in Jalpaiguri.
Nepal Crisis Leaves Tourists Stranded
The announcement comes a day after Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned under pressure from a fierce student-led uprising that has left the country in turmoil. Demonstrators stormed party offices, torched residences of senior leaders, vandalised Parliament, and shook the ruling dispensation.
The protests were triggered by the Oli government’s controversial social media ban, which rapidly escalated into widespread unrest. A day earlier, police firing on demonstrators had claimed 19 lives, further intensifying the anger on the streets.
Mamata Appeals for Use of Bengali
Referring to alleged attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant labourers in BJP-ruled states, Banerjee also appealed to people to speak more in Bengali without fear.
“I face insults daily because I want Bengal’s development,” the Chief Minister remarked, reiterating her call for cultural confidence.
