Mamata Banerjee to be awarded D.Litt by Calcutta University, opposition slams decision

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be conferred D.Litt (honoris causa) by the Calcutta University.

"The Calcutta University has decided to honour Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with D.Litt on January 11 for her contribution to industrial, literary and social sector," Vice Chancellor Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee has said in a release on Wednesday.

The event to facilitate the firebrand TMC leader will be held in Kolkata's Najrul Mancha.

Speaking to the reporters, the VC said a decision in this regard was taken after the meeting of Calcutta University's Senate-Syndicate.

However, the state government-funded autonomous institution was criticised by Mamata's political rivals for ‘blatant display of loyalty’.

“The event shows the extent of boot-licking and appeasement in the education system of the state,” Lok Sabha MP and CPI(M) politburo member Md Salim said.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha also took a dig at the Calcutta University authorities for ‘stooping unimaginably low’.

It is to be noted that Mamata had yesterday attacked the Narendra Modi government over a Department of Telecom (DoT) directive to link Aadhaar with mobile numbers.

Reacting to it, the West Bengal Chief Minister had said that she is ready to lose her connection but won't comply wit the DoT directive.