I can always hiss if I can’t bite.” That was Mamata Banerjee last Saturday, smarting over the insult of not being consulted by the UPA before introducing the Big Bang Reforms. The mercurial Trinamool leader seemed angrier over the manner in which the reforms were introduced rather than the reforms themselves. She thundered, “We can bow our heads to Ma, Mati, Manush, but not to the arrogance of power.” Ironically, in the public opinion, as indicated by the markets and television interviews of common people and analysts, she was perceived to be just as arrogant as the UPA.

Ms Banerjee still stays in a small house instead of the palatial Chief Ministerial bungalow and uses a small car rather than a swanky government-given bullet proof limousine. But it is her demeanour of sharp and loutish behaviour that is unappealing. While such behaviour was acceptable when she was an activist or when she campaigned during elections, as a chief minister, she is expected to conduct matters of the state off the streets. Notwithstanding her righteous anger, she should at least be respectful, if not decorous in speech. Mayawati, Yeddyurappa, Jayalalitha, Nitish Kumar, Shivraj Chauhan, Naveen Patnaik have all been opposition chief ministers and scathing on the UPA but I can’t remember any instance where they yelled and screamed, however much they were provoked.