Mamata cries ‘political vendetta’ at reporter’s question

New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's tiff with the media is not new. On Thursday, after meeting Home Minister Amit Shah, she accused a news channel of "running propaganda".

A video that has gone viral, Banerjee is seen using the phrase "political vendetta". Later the Trinamool Congress (TMC) issued a statement saying: "After meeting the Home Minister when Mamata Banerjee addressed the press, a reporter (at the rear, from the opposite side) screamed out a question, in the context of a particular issue. A fellow journalist in the front screamed 'Why are you disturbing?' At this point the CM said, "See this is their (the channel's) political vendetta". It is in this context that she used the phrase and no other reason."

This is not the first time though. Earlier in Kolkata, while the former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar faced the heat from the CBI, she had refused to take question from a reporter of a certain media house alleging the news channel concerned runs propaganda against her.

In 2013, Banerjee had blamed a section of the media for negating industrial growth during Trinamool Congress rule in the state. "Who said we are not for big industry? It is only a section of the media who are running a false propaganda to pursue their selfish interests", she had said.

In 2012, Mamata had blamed media even for rape cases. "We have all read the fable of a shepherd and the tiger. The way media is cooking up rape stories, it would be difficult to believe even a genuine rape complaint in the future," Banerjee had said.