West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on July 26 left for New Delhi and said that she will participate in the meeting of NITI Aayog in the capital scheduled on July 27 to “ record our voice”.
Ms. Banerjee’s decision to participate in the meeting comes amidst Chief Ministers of several States governed by Opposition parties boycotting the meeting likely to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I will be there for some time. If they allow us to record our voice will record. Or else will protest and come out of the meeting. I will try to speak on behalf of my State,” Ms. Banerjee told journalists before leaving for New Delhi.
She said that Hemant Soren, Chief Minister of Jharkhand will participate in the meeting and added “will speak for everybody”.
The West Bengal Chief Minister also accused the Centre of discriminating against West Bengal and other Opposition ruled states in the Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23. “ We are unable to reconcile this political bias in the Budget,” she said.
Ms. Banerjee said that there was an attempt to divide West Bengal by a Minister and party members of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“We strongly condemn these attempts. To divide West Bengal is to divide India. We do not support this,” she said. Her remarks were directed at the remarks of Union Minister of State for Ministry of Development of North East Region and West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sukanta Majumdar who has made a proposal to include north Bengal in the NorthEast region .
The Chief Minister said that on the one hand the State is facing an economic blockade from the Centre and on the other hand there are attempts to change geography by dividing the State.
Published - July 26, 2024 02:01 pm IST
