Shah Rukh Khan has been victimised: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called out against the "victimisation" of megastar Shah Rukh Khan yesterday in Mumbai. The shared this statement before a large audience that included political leaders, social activists, former high court judges and celebrities.

Addressing BJP as a "cruel and undemocratic party", she highlighted the necessity of unity and required guidance for the conflict ahead.

Terming her as a "ray of hope", film Director Mahesh Bhat said, "The story of India is too vast and diverse to reduce it to one narrative. The story of plural, diverse and tolerant India has to be that. How are going to protect liberals from the goons of the right wing?"

Mamata Banerjee, who was accompanied on this trip by poll strategist Prashant Kishor, responded to him saying, "Mahesh ji (film director Mahesh Bhatt), you have been victimised, Shah Rukh Khan has also been victimised. If we have to win, we have to fight and speak out wherever you can. You guide us and give us advice as a political party." 

"India loves manpower not muscle power. We are facing a cruel undemocratic party the BJP. If we are together, we will win," responded the Trinamool chief, who is on a two-day visit to the state.

She also mentioned that there is a clear bridge between Bengal and Maharashtra, invoking Bengal's iconic poet Rabindranath Tagore and his poem on Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji, added Banerjee.

Former High Court judges Shafi Parkar and Abhay Thipse, Tushar Gandhi, activists Teesta Setalvad and Medha Patkar, former Congress leader Sanjay Jha, Sudheendra Kulkarni, Shatrughan Sinha, author Shobha De and a fair sized contingent from Bollywood including Swara Bhaskar and Konkona Sen Sharma were in attendance in this meeting.

Later Banerjee, who had met Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut earlier this week, met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, one of the interlocutors of the opposition.

Sharad Pawar took to his Twitter, posting photos of the meeting with the caption, "Pleased to meet Hon'ble CM of West Bengal Smt @MamataOfficial at my Mumbai residence. We discussed various issues. We agreed upon the need to strengthen the collective efforts and commitment towards safeguarding democratic values and ensuring the betterment of our people".