Mamata Banerjee took time off her campaign schedule to log on to Facebook on April 13 to connect with the people of the state.
She did a Q&A session on her Facebook page, which got a thunderous response from users. Questions kept coming as often as one per second.
The Q&A session, which was originally supposed to be a 30-min activity, stretched on to over an hour as people kept posting questions.
“I was supposed to finish at 9. But I like answering your questions. So I want to continue a little longer answering your questions. I cannot answer all, but I am trying,” she said.
She ended the session with a Facebook Live video which received over 25,000 views in less than an hour.
Her page was swamped with greetings, wishes, concerns for her health and messages from supporters and common people alike.
Here are some of the questions she answered:
Sheikh Azhar: Didi, you are chatting on Facebook for the first time. How different is it from rallies?
Didi: Thank you. Rallies are different from Facebook live. I am loving this Facebook live. I enjoy talking and listening to people. But due to paucity of time I sometimes cannot do this.
Anirban Sengupta: As a young person in Bengal I am proud that our CM is so tech-savvy. Didi, do you have plans to use other social media channels like Instagram?
Didi: Now I am on Facebook and Twitter. I enjoy connecting with people, to listen to them. Good suggestion. Thanks.
Piyush Khandelwal: What type of development do you have planned for the next 5 years, if elected?
Didi: I will give thrust to the young generation. I will give thrust to the IT generation. And I will continue to give more importance to the economically downtrodden.
She also answered questions critical of her, with elan.
Ankur Chakraborty: What about the Sarada and Narad scam? Why people are in ministerial position after being implicated?
Didi: Sharada to Narada all are planted political game. The real culprits are not arrested. We will take action. Now the actual Bill is approved. The Sharada man was arrested in 2012 by our government though Sharada started in 2000 under Left Front government under full protection of Left Front and Central government.
The Left Front people, who are culprits in Sharada, are not arrested. Even SEBI and other central agencies who are responsible did not take action.
Narada is a election political vendetta.
All action will be taken against the pillars of Sharada.
Mitra Chakraborty: Do syndicates fund Trinamool?
Didi: No. Never done.
Pallabi Chatterjee: Why does your government work for a particular community only?
Didi: This not at all the truth. We work for people of all religions, caste or creed. We never discriminate. Look at Khadya Sathi, Kanyashree or Sabuj Sathi – everyone is getting the benefit. We do not even see political colours before providing any service to people. Bengal is a rainbow of colours.
She also exchanged greetings and responded to light-hearted questions
Dipankar Mistri: Didi,Thank you.from my childhood you are my inspiration. I think what you have done for boys & girls
Didi: Thank you for your kind words
Fatema Khatoon: You have done so much for women in d state what plan do u have fr men ? ( suvo noboborsho ).
Didi: I am not a feminist. I am a humanist and will take care of every human being. I will take care of all humanity.
And she answered some political questions as well
Akshay Mishra: How do you rate current BJP government over past few governments?
Didi: They are behaving very casually. Intolerant. Negative. And always with a political vendetta.
Babita Mullick Biswas: What are your views of CPI(M)-Congress alliance?
Didi: It is an unethical, selfish alliance.
Mohit Vora: what action are you taking on flyover incident?
Didi: Law will take its own course. The tender for the flyover was allotted during CPI(M) rule. We have already set up the experts committee. We will deal with the matter strongly