Mamata Banerjee told an election meeting Thursday that many of the "so-called intellectuals and social workers" who went on television to discuss rape in Bengal were "associated with pornography".

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"Bishistha jan jaara seje-guje talk show te giye boshe roj roshiye roshiye dharshaner kotha bolen, taander onekei pornography'r sathe jukto (Eminent people who dress up and appear on talk shows every day to discuss rape with great relish, many of them are associated with pornography)," the West Bengal chief minister said in Galsi in Burdwan.

"There are some news channels that work for the CPM. Talk shows are organized on these channels. And the so-called intellectuals and social workers who participate, they insult our mothers and sisters. They insult our brothers too. It is because of them that young people who were unaware of several things are now spoilt," she said.

According to Mamata, these people "claim they are social workers, but they have never done any social work in their lives". "They discuss rape and gangrape on talk shows for money. Egulo talk show noy, egulo shob taka show [These aren't talk shows, these are taka (money) shows]."

Mamata also attacked the Centre for making her government "pay for the debt incurred by the CPM". The food security Bill would never be able to bring food to the poor, she said.

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