Mamata acting in an immature manner: Justice Katju

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not acting in a mature manner by cracking down on her critics and must learn to take criticism in her stride, said Press Council of India (PCI) chairperson Markandey Katju Wednesday.

"She (Mamata) is not acting in a mature manner. I think she should behave in a more mature manner. She is not a street fighter ... she is a chief minister. The manner in which she has behaved is totally unacceptable in a democracy. She must learn to be an administrator," Katju said while talking to women journalists at the Indian Women's Press Corps here.

According to Katju, the chief minister should take criticism in a positive way.

"She must learn democratic way of functioning. In a democracy you should not mind criticism. Mamata Banerjee must learn to restrain and to act in a mature manner," he said.

The PCI head did praise Banerjee for her personal integrity. "I respect her as I have heard nothing (adverse) about her personal integrity, which is a big thing, but on the other side she must learn to take criticism in her stride."

The West Bengal government arrested a Jadavpur University professor last week for allegedly posting a cartoon on the internet showing Banerjee in poor light.

On the issue of the state government restricting newspapers in the libraries, Katju said: "I have already written a letter to the state government. If your children will not study English then they will only ride bullock carts."

"You cannot do anything without knowing English. I am not saying that you should not learn Hindi, but English is important," he added.