'Learn Bengali if you want to live in West Bengal', says Mamata amid doctors' strike

"The police will take action against the hooligans. If someone is living in Bengal, he or she has to learn Bengali," she added.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (PIC/PTI)

Kanchrapara (WB): The doctors’ strike in West Bengal has crippled health services across the state and for which CM Mamata Banerjee has found outsiders responsible.  On Friday, the chief minister insisted that those living in West Bengal will have to learn to speak in Bengali. The TMC supremo today reiterated that outsiders instigated the doctors' agitation in the state and accused the BJP of targeting the Bengalis and the minorities. "Outsiders are instigating the doctors. I had rightly said that they were involved in yesterday's protest. I had seen some outsiders raising slogans (at SSKM hospital)," she said, while addressing a rally here. Alleging that EVMs in the recently held Lok Sabha elections were "programmed", Banerjee also said that ballot papers should be brought back for conducting polls. "Just because they (BJP) won a few seats by programming the EVMs, it doesn't mean that they can beat up Bengalis and minorities. We will not tolerate this," the chief minister said. "The police will take action against the hooligans. If someone is living in Bengal, he or she has to learn Bengali," she added. On Thursday, Banerjee alleged that BJP is trying to create communal tension “.. that doctors should not see Muslim patients, doctors should not see other patients, doctors will only see BJP patients.” (With PTI inputs)