Mamata flays critics of SRK felicitation
May 31st, 2012 - 7:17 pm ICT by IANS
Kolkata, May 31 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday flayed opposition Left Front for indulging in “unnecessary criticism” to score political brownie points over the felicitation programme organised by her government for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
“They are so mean that they are criticizing the felicitation ceremony of KKR. They (KKR) have made the entire country proud. We have done nothing, everything has been done by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). In other states the players get crores of rupees, cars for winning a tournament. We don’t need to learn from CPI-M about how to treat our guests.” said Banerjee.
The state government’s gala felicitation at Eden Gardens had drawn severe criticism from a section of the society who had questioned the debt-burdened government’s enormous expenditure for felicitating a private company.
The KKR team alongside their co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, who is also Bengal’s brand ambassador, was felicitated by Banerjee for winning the IPL tournament.
With a frenzied crowd of thousands cheering on, KKR players took part in a victory parade from south Kolkata’s Hazra Crossing on a flower-bedecked open top trailer.
Around 70,000 people gathered at the Eden Gardens where the team was given a civic reception whereas 20,000-30,000 stood outside to have a glimpse of Shah Rukh and Gautam Gambhir.
- Shah Rukh bats for Mamata, answers critics - May 29, 2012
- Feel like I have won the heart of Kolkata: Shah Rukh - May 29, 2012
- Frenzied Kolkata fans fete Knight Riders, Shah Rukh (Roundup) - May 29, 2012
- Mobbed by thousands, Kolkata's Knights begin victory parade - May 29, 2012
- Shah Rukh, Mamata steal show in KKR's Eden party - May 29, 2012
- Mamata to felicitate IPL champs KKR - May 28, 2012
- KKR jamboree: Bengal Inc. counts losses - May 29, 2012
- KKR felicitation a mix of politics, sports and entertainment (West Bengal newsletter) - Jun 01, 2012
- Kolkata bracing up for extending warm felicitation to victorious Knights (Roundup) - May 28, 2012
- IPL champions KKR party through the night - May 28, 2012
- Shah Rukh warmly welcomed by fans - Apr 05, 2012
- Bengal parties close ranks to fete KKR - May 28, 2012
- We have done it, says Shah Rukh on arrival in Kolkata (Lead) - May 29, 2012
- Wrong to call me 'badshah of cricket', says SRK - May 30, 2012
- Bengal governor clarifies 'paribartan' remark - May 30, 2012
Tags: brownie points, chief minister, civic reception, co owner, CPI, eden gardens, enormous expenditure, felicitation, frenzied crowd, gautam gambhir, kkr, kmc, knight riders, kolkata municipal corporation, mamata banerjee, private company, rupees, shah rukh khan, victory parade, west bengal