Can Touch PM’s Feet for Bengal’s Welfare But Can’t Bear Insult’: Mamata Banerjee On Meeting Row

Mumbai: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday reprimanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over the ongoing controversy over the cyclone Yaas review meeting and accused it of spreading “fake, unilateral and biased news” in the media.

“I was supposed to attend other meetings, and before leaving I took the Prime Minister’s permission. The PMO insulted me, tweeting to tarnish my image. They humiliated me by running one-sided information circulated by PMO. Please don’t humiliate me,” she said at a virtual press meet amid a political row over her decision to skip a meeting with PM Modi on the post-cyclone situation.

“Bengal is my priority and I will never put it in danger. I will be a security guard for the people here. If the Prime Minister asks me to touch my feet for the welfare of the people of Bengal, I am ready to do so I must not be insulted,” he said.

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Banerjee further asked why the BJP leaders and the governor were called when the meeting between the PM and CM was called, saying they “felt humiliated”.

“Under a plan, they were showing some vacant chairs (in pictures). Why would I sit when I could see political party leaders who were not entitled to attend the meeting; I did meet the PM. When we reached, the meeting had started. They asked us to sit, I asked them to allow us a minute to submit the report. SPG told us that meeting will be after 1 hour. I saw empty chairs in the conference room; I was told that the meeting was between CM and PM but why were there other BJP leaders?” she said.

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PM Modi visited West Bengal on Friday and held a meeting to review the damage caused by Cyclone Yes, in which Banerjee did not participate.

However, the Chief Minister held a brief meeting with the Prime Minister at Kalai Kunda Air Base in West Midnapore. It also submitted a report on the damage caused by Cyclone YES in the state and sought a package of Rs 20,000 crore for the redevelopment of the worst-affected areas.

The Chief Minister’s move drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders, including several Union ministers, with BJP president JP Nadda accusing her of “murder of constitutional ethos and the culture of cooperative federalism.”

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