West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said “intolerance” was “rising” in the country while there was an attempt to distort history.
Speaking at the University of Calcutta after being decorated with a higher doctorate degree (D. Litt) during its convocation ceremony, Banerjee said: “Intolerance is rising in the country. History should not be distorted.”
“India has diversity of origin and we should respect that,” she added.
Meanwhile, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Calcutta High Court challenging the University’s move to confer the honourary doctorate on Banerjee.
The PIL, filed by Abu Taleb and Ranjugopal Mukherjee, argues that the varsity is a state-funded institution and will suffer a “credibility loss” if it confers the degree upon the highest executive authority of the state.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary Rahul Sinha also took a dig at the Calcutta University authorities for “stooping” to an unimaginable low.
(With agency inputs)