The Work and Pension minister, Rt Hon Priti Patel, welcomed the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, on Monday 27th July 2015, at the business reception at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to discuss the important relationship between the UK and West Bengal and how this partnership can be strengthened further.
Priti Patel said, “This is a landmark visit. A visit which brings greater strength to existing friendships, provides an opportunity to build new ones and brings greater focus on doing business to drive prosperity in both our countries. Our collective aim is to forge partnerships between our people and our institutions that will improve the lives of all our citizens.”
Speaking on West Bengal's progress, Patel said, “I’m delighted to say that things are changing fast. Today, West Bengal is on the move. Under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership the state is enjoying a renaissance and its potential is beginning to be realised.”
During her five-day visit to the UK, Mamata Banerjee will be visiting many esteemed figures. It is also said that there are more than 250 organisations in the UK backing calls to meet with the Chief Minister of West Bengal, over the plight of Hindu girls and women in her state.
Leaders from these organisations representing the “Dharmic” communities comprising of Hindus, Jains and Sikhs in the UK want to discuss cases of kidnap, rape, harassment and abuse of Hindu females in the state of West Bengal with Mamata Banerjee.
Members from the UK Dharmic organisations will also be holding a vigil on Wednesday 29th July, at 3pm, at Asia House, which will be attended by Mamata Banerjee, before she will visit the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore to pay her respects.
On Tuesday 28th July, a musical performance by an ensemble of Maestros from West Bengal was organised by the Government of West Bengal and The High Commissioner of India (UK), at the Natural History Museum, London, where Mamata Banerjee was to grace the occasion. However, following the death of the former Indian President, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the Maestros from West Bengal were paying their creative musical homage on this occasion.
