Kolkata, Dec. 18 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday defended the state against criticism, asserting that attempts to defame Bengal will fail and highlighting its growing economic and cultural significance.

"Some people want to defame Bengal, but they don't know how much the state has changed. Bengal is today one of the leading logistics hubs and serves as the gateway to South East Asia, East India, and the North Eastern states. It is surrounded by border states like Jharkhand, Bihar, and Odisha," Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister emphasised that Bengal is a peaceful state, and any negative narratives circulated on social media are fake and aimed at tarnishing its image. "Some fake news comes from so-called social ...