New Delhi:

Strongly countering West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that her microphone was switched off and she was only allowed to speak for five minutes at a key Niti Aayog meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has accused her of “trying to build a narrative out of falsehood”.

The finance minister said all chief ministers were allotted “due time” to speak and the Trinamool Congress chief could have also requested to talk for longer rather than “looking for an excuse” to get out of the meeting. 

Ms Banerjee – who was the only INDIA bloc chief minister not to boycott the Niti Aayog general council meeting on Saturday – had alleged “political discrimination” and said she was allowed to speak for only five minutes while some of her counterparts from other states got to talk for over 15. She said her microphone was turned off and a bell was rung repeatedly to remind her that her allotted time was up. 

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended the Niti Aayog meeting. We all heard her. Every chief minister was given the allotted time, and that was displayed on the screen, which was present before every table. Apparently she has now conveyed through the media that her mic was turned off. That is completely false. Every chief minister was given their due time to speak,” the finance minister told ANI.

Stating that the meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi but organised by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Ms Sitharaman said that when any chief minister’s allotted time was over, Mr Singh tapped on the microphone.

“This was done for all chief ministers but it is unfortunate that Ms Banerjee said her mic was switched off, which is not true. It is unfortunate because we are happy that she participated in this meeting, put forth her case, spoke for West Bengal and, as she said in the meeting, spoke for all the opposition,” the finance minister said. 

“As per the procedure, if she’s reminded that her time is over, even with the mic on, she could have requested that she would like to continue speaking, like some other chief ministers did. She could have continued speaking as long as she wanted, but she chose to use it as an excuse so that she could get out of the meeting. And then to say that the mic was switched off is just so unfortunate. I wish she would say the truth behind this, rather than again build a narrative based on falsehood,” she added.

‘Effort To Keep INDIA Allies Happy”

The alleged discrimination against Ms Banerjee was also taken up by some of her colleagues in the INDIA alliance, including the Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, who called Niti Aayog meetings a farce. 

Taking to X, Mr Ramesh said “It (Niti Aayog) muzzles all divergent and dissenting viewpoints, which are the very essence of an open democracy. Its meetings are a farce to be reckoned with. Its treatment of the West Bengal chief minister today, although typical of the NITI Aayog, is unacceptable.”

Ms Sitharaman hit back at Mr Ramesh, retorting that the Congress wasn’t even at the meeting and Ms Banerjee’s statement seemed like an effort to keep her INDIA allies happy. 

“Jairam, you weren’t even there! We all heard Hon. CM @MamataOfficial. She spoke her full time. The screen in front of our tables kept showing the time. A few other CMs spoke beyond their allotted time. On their own request, extra time was allowed without any fuss. Mikes were not switched off, not for anybody, particularly, not for CM, WB. Mamata ji has chosen to spread falsehood,” the finance minister wrote on X. 

Following this up with a jibe, Ms Sitharaman added, “I was happy she attended. Was happier when she said she is speaking for Bengal and in fact for the entire opposition. I may agree or disagree with what she had to say.  But now with her saying baseless things outside, I can only conclude that she is making an effort to keep I.N.D.I alliance happy.” 

New Delhi:

Deviating from the stand taken by her counterparts belonging to other parties in the INDIA alliance, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said she will attend the Niti Aayog general council meeting on Saturday because it is in the interest of her state, adding that she will raise the issues of all opposition-ruled states.

The Niti Aayog general council meeting is one of the few forums where state chief ministers get to meet not just the Prime Minister, who presides over the gathering, but also Union ministers.

The Trinamool Congress chief arrived in Delhi on Friday amid speculation about her cancelling her visit and skipping the Niti Aayog meeting in line with chief ministers of Congress-ruled states and others like Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann, Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan and Tamil Nadu’s MK Stalin. 

Stating that she had cancelled, but reconsidered on the advice of senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, who is also her nephew, the Bengal chief minister said the Union Budget had been brazenly politicised. 

“They say the Budget shows cooperative federalism, but it is biased politicisation. The Budget is total deprivation of states. You can give some special package to your friends but you can’t deprive opposition states completely,” she asserted, adding that states have to be empowered.

“Centre should only have external affairs, defence and internal security. Finance (is something) they have destroyed,” she claimed. 

‘Scrap Niti Aayog’

Ms Banerjee said that, during the meeting, she would raise the issue of West Bengal “not getting anything” in the Budget as well as the Rs 1.71 lakh crore her government claims the Centre owes the state. She also said it was time the Niti Aayog was scrapped and the Planning Commission was brought back.

“It (Niti Aayog) has no financial implications… The Planning Commission had worked well for India since Independence. It was mooted by Subhash Chandra Bose,” she said. 

On being asked if she was part of the opposition INDIA bloc, she said she was at the national level but the alliance was not needed in the state. “Trinamool Congress is enough to fight the BJP in West Bengal. Nationally, we are with INDIA,” she said.

In the Lok Sabha elections, she said the Congress had gained in states where regional parties are strong and credit should be given to both. She also predicted that, in the upcoming Assembly elections, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, which is an INDIA ally, will win in Maharashtra, Congress will emerge victorious in Haryana and Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha would remain the Jharkhand chief minister. 

On Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in prison in the liquor policy case, she said she was very concerned about him and others “targeted” by the BJP-ruled government at the Centre. “Only agencies and conspiracies cannot give you political results,” she said.

Ms Banerjee also met Mr Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita, on Friday evening.