One minute Modi-Mamata meeting triggers huge controversy


By Saibal Gupta

Kolkata, May 29 (IANS): It was a meeting that hardly lasted for a minute but the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee created a huge political controversy.

When senior leaders of the BJP claimed that it was the chief minister's ego that resisted her from staying away from the review meeting with Suvendu Adhikari, Trinamool Congress alleged that the meeting with the Prime Minister personally was pre-scheduled but she was not allowed time as promised by the PMO.

The controversy started in the morning when an official from the PMO called Suvendu Adhikari and was asked to stay in the review meeting at Kalaikunda. Adhikari, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the state legislative assembly, reached Kalaikunda at 1 p.m. much before the arrival of the Prime Minister.

Interestingly Mamata Banerjee announced from her review meeting in Hingalganj that she won't be able to stay at the review meeting but she would hand over the estimate of the damage caused by the storm.

According to highly placed sources in the state secretariat, the chief minister's announcement comes after chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay confirmed that Prime Minister has given her separate time but when she reached Kalaikunda she was made to sit in a separate room and was informed that as the review meeting has started already, she will have to wait.

Sources close to the chief minister said that she insisted on one minute time but she was requested to wait. Mamata Banerjee then walked into the review meeting, handed over the paper and walked out.

This one-minute incident was enough to attract strong political repercussions. Just after the meeting Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar who was also present wrote, "At the Review Meet by PM #CycloneYaas to assess the damage caused. CM and officials @MamataOfficial did not participate. Such boycotts both in consonance with the constitution and federalism. Certainly, by such actions, neither the public interest nor the interest of the state has been served.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee was quick to respond. In his tweet, Banerjee wrote, "@jdhankhar1, can you tell us, under what provision Nandigram MLA can be present in the review meeting between the central government headed by @narendramodi and state government headed by @MamataOfficial. Stop doing politics @jdhankhar1 in this situation".

Suvendu Adhikari who was in the centre of the controversy wrote, "When Hon PM Shri @narendramodi stands strong with the citizens of West Bengal in wake of cyclone Yaas, Mamata ji should also set aside her ego for the welfare of people. Her absence from the PM's meeting is the murder of constitutional ethos & the culture of cooperative federalism".

"Today is a dark day in India's long-standing ethos of cooperative federalism, a principle held sacred by PM @narendramodi. If her track record is anything to go by, @MamataOfficial Didi's administration was unable to manage Amphan relief. Rampant loot plagued the relief works. Even now, West Bengal is suffering and the state government is in absent mode," he added.

Union Home Minister on his Twitter handle wrote, "Mamata Didi's conduct today is an unfortunate low. Cyclone Yaas has affected several common citizens and the need of the hour is to assist those affected. Sadly, Didi has put arrogance above public welfare and today's petty behaviour reflects that".

Trinamool Congress refuted the allegation. The party's spokesperson, Kunal Ghosh said, "There is no place for any kind of controversy. It was a meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. The chief minister met the Prime Minister and submitted to him the details of the damage caused by the storm. There the matter ends".

State BJP President Dilip Ghosh said, "This cannot be a good example of cooperative federalism. She gave preference to her personal ego more than the pains of the people of the state. Suvendu Adhikari is the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister has invited him to be present. Her absence in the meeting will send a very wrong signal".

TMC General Secretary Partha Chatterjee said, "Those who are speaking of her insensitivity should know that she was in the state secretariat whole might to oversee the pains of the people. She is the one who is personally overseeing the relief operations in the state. I would like to ask where were those people during the storm?"

 

  

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Comment on this article

  • Gibs, Udupi

    Sun, May 30 2021

    Modi ji and his government is against Mamata ji, as they lost the elections very badly. TMC MLA'S joined BJP and lost elections so all are against Mamata to take revenge as long as she is in power. During campaigns too all BJP ministers and PM, HM and top leaders insulted Mamataji. Now they want to humiliate DIDI including Governor a BJP supporter. REVENGE IS THE MAIN MOTTO OF BJP AND GOVERNMENT AT ANY COST AND SAME THEY ARE DOING OPPOSITION RULING STATES. POISONOUS MINDS DOESN'T WANT TO CHANGE.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUIITH, India

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Modi loves the company of corrupt. Suvendu Adhikari was caught taking a bribe of 15 lakhs on camera. Modi was calling him corrupt till he joined BJP. And now Modi appoints a corrupt man as Leader of opposition. Birds of the same feather flock together.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • HENRY MISQUIITH, India

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Modi loves the company of corrupt. Suvendu Adhikari was caught taking a bribe of 15 lakhs on camera. Modi was calling him corrupt till he joined BJP. And now Modi appoints a corrupt man as Leader of opposition. Birds of the same feather flock together.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • vishnu bhat, bangalore

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Modi will lose this battle due to his pettiness.

    DisAgree Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • David Pais, Mangalore

    Sat, May 29 2021

    chai govt., is 1nly pm not in da am. shame., shame...

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • geoffrey, hat hill

    Sat, May 29 2021

    This seems to have broken earlier record of shortest 'meeting' with Karan Thapar

    DisAgree Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • R.L., Udupi/USA

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Modi deserves this he don’t know how to respect people for everything there is a limit. He should resign from PM post.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [25] Reply Report Abuse

  • Sunil K, Mangalore

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Grandstanding by Modi after hecking Didi during BJP's botched W Bengal election campaign. In any case, who in their right mind would now want to meet with an inactive and incompetent PM ? Gives 1,000 cr to Gujarat relief but peanuts for other States. BJP should immediately remove the top tier members of the government including the PM, if they need to survive the increasing anger of the Indian public.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [31] Reply Report Abuse

  • prem, moodbidri

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Politicians, who are in public service should listen to People's 'Mann ki baath', instead of giving gyaan! They are chosen to do "Kaam ki baath". . Nobody is interested in useless gyaan now a days... !

    DisAgree [2] Agree [24] Reply Report Abuse

  • G R PRABHUJI, Mangalore

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Only experts must go and survey the area . Then they must report to Government. This type of cyclone comes regularly, what is the use of aerial survey.??? This is nothing but Politics. We need educated and literate administrators to save this country. Now also voters can decide the future.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [42] Reply Report Abuse

  • Anna, Mangalore

    Sat, May 29 2021

    I remember a political with long beard went for aerial survey of flood couple of years ago and even faked the photo. Prabhuji, I wonder how much expertise he had about it. He did had expertise in Radar as he claimed Radar doesn't work with cloud cover.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • Prashanth, Badiadka

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Worst Prime Minister ever. His conduct with every CHief Minister should be same. Unfortunately he is targetting chief minister of states ruled by other parties. We are under mercy of govt which is worse that British colonial rule

    DisAgree [7] Agree [48] Reply Report Abuse

  • ca girishkk, m'lore/dxb

    Sat, May 29 2021

    After all education matters most..., The low level of politics was exhibited by Hindustan's honorable PM ... during election rally by invoking impeccably honorable & humble CM of Bengal.... in low taste... to entertain his illiterate &/or less literate jokara & dombarata class followers....., it is open in public the honorable PM become a laughing subject among every second person on the streets ...., i.e., why social media / whats app is now asked to dilute their secrecy to facilitate gag approach by the Jokara's who are totally exposed & are at the receiving end..,

    DisAgree [6] Agree [42] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Nallasopara

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Narendra Modi can never reply to any Question ...

    DisAgree [7] Agree [47] Reply Report Abuse

  • prem, moodbidri

    Sat, May 29 2021

    Modi himself is a big "QUESTION" !!!

    DisAgree [4] Agree [22] Reply Report Abuse

  • k b r, Mangala Uru

    Sat, May 29 2021

    dictators are not used to dialog, they are used to giving one sided commands and sermons...

    DisAgree [2] Agree [44] Reply Report Abuse


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