Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday ran into loud protests from supporters of the BJP and a Hindu outfit in Varanasi. Shouting “Jai Shri Ram” and “go back” and waving black flags, the hecklers tried to stop Mamata’s car.

Mamata, who is in the city to campaign in favour of the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh elections, stepped out of her car and “thanked” the BJP and Hindu Yuva Vahini cadres for the “welcome” as she reached the Dashashwamedh Ghat to witness the Ganga aarti.

“Aap logon ko bahut bahut dhanyavad. Hum yahan jaane ke liye nahi aaya. Main meeting karungi aur Benaras
me rahungi (Thank you so much. I haven’t come to go back. I will hold meetings and stay here in Varanasi),” Mamata
said.

Supporters of Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party too turned up at the Ghat to raise slogans welcoming Mamata. A brief scuffle between the BJP and SP cadres ensued.

Akhilesh later tweeted: “The BJP is in a bad shape because ‘Didi-Bhaiya (sister and brother)’ are together.”

Reporting by JP Yadav