CM unlikely to attend Home mins' meeting in Haryana on Oct 27-28

KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is unlikely to attend the meeting of Home ministers on October 27 and 28 in Surajkund in Haryana.

Union Home minister Amit Shah had invited Banerjee, requesting her to attend the meeting that will deliberate upon the country's internal security. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee heads the Home department of the state.

According to sources in Nabanna, October 27 is a state holiday when 'bhaiphonta' will be celebrated in the state. Banerjee takes an active part in the rituals of the festival. She also remains busy during that time as the Chhath puja is scheduled on October 30 and the Chief Minister inaugurates several Chhath pujas.

State Home Secretary BP Gopalika and state Director General of Police Manoj Malaviya are likely to represent Bengal at the meeting.

The Eastern Zonal Council Meeting is scheduled to be held in Kolkata on November 5 during which Banerjee will be meeting Shah. The meeting has been scheduled at Nabanna Sabhaghar. Chief ministers of Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand are also expected to be present during the meeting.

In the recent past, Banerjee who is also the chairperson of Trinamool Congress has been vocal against the 'excess' of the central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In the state Assembly session held in September, Banerjee while speaking on a resolution moved by Trinamool Congress party's chief whip Nirmal Ghosh had said: "The CBI is not under the Prime Minister's department. It is under the Home department. There have been 21 raids by ED (Enforcement Directorate) in Kolkata. There have been 108 cases initiated by ED and CBI in the state in the last 3-4 months. I do not believe that the central agencies are acting at the behest of the Prime minister. Some BJP leaders are behind this."