Stop revenge politics, Mamata tells Modi; adds 'can touch PM's feet but can't bear insult'

Kolkata: Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring an end to "revenge politics" as a one-sided story has been peddled from his office regarding her absence during the review meeting to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to him to withdraw the letter recalling Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay to Delhi as it has led to the humiliation of all Chief Secretaries across the country.

Banerjee further said that if the Prime Minister asks her to touch his feet for the welfare of the people of her state, she's ready to do that but she "should not be insulted". She expressed her disappointment over inviting BJP leaders and Governor to the meeting when it was supposed to be a "PM-CM interaction".

Explaining the "tough situation" amidst which she, along with the Chief Secretary, met the Prime Minister risking their lives by flying in inclement weather from Sagar to Kalaikunda, out of sheer "courtesy" as he was visiting Bengal, Banerjee said she was hurt as the Centre as well as its senior ministers and BJP leaders had accused her of skipping the meeting, which was an "insult".

Visibly annoyed Banerjee also hit out at the BJP-led Centre for leaving no stone unturned to humiliate her government since the day she came back to power with a landslide victory and claimed the recall order of the Chief Secretary as an outcome of BJP's failure to digest the mandate.

On Friday, Banerjee undertook an aerial survey of various places in North and South 24-Parganas before reaching Kalaikunda and again held a review meeting at Digha in East Midnapore. She returned to Nabanna on Saturday afternoon after taking aerial surveys of places, including Nandigram and Khejuri in East Midnapore.

Referring to Friday's meeting at Kalaikunda, she also charged the Prime Minister of creating "confusion and confrontation" whenever he visits the state. "The meeting was supposed to be held between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. But later it was revised and the Governor and BJP's MLA were included. I have no objection to the presence of a Central minister. But if they are so free and fair, then why no recognition was given to the Opposition political parties in Parliament in the past two consecutive years. Last week, the Prime Minister held a meeting at BJP-run Gujarat. Why was no Opposition leader present in the meeting? I heard there was no Leader of the Opposition in Odisha as well," Banerjee said while addressing the media at Nabanna.

Stating that photographs of vacant chairs beside the Prime Minister were made viral through social media, she charged his office of feeding "fake, one-sided, partisan news" to the media.

Banerjee challenged that there was no extra chair apart from one on which the Prime Minister was sitting when she and the Chief Secretary held a discussion with him at Kalaikunda airbase only after she was made to wait for quite some time.

"He was sitting on a chair and we were standing beside him after handing him over the report containing details of the assessment of the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas. Moreover, was it necessary to sit when some political leaders were present despite not being entitled to attend the same," she said recollecting the way she was insulted with chants of "Jai Shri Ram" slogans during the birth anniversary programme of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at Victoria Memorial Hall. She also referred to the Prime Minister's Covid meetings where the states are not allowed to speak.

In connection with Friday's letter recalling the Chief Secretary to Delhi despite giving him an extension of three months after his retirement on May 31, Banerjee questioned: "What was the fault of the Chief Secretary? Has anger been vented on him just because he is a Bengali? We do not differentiate between Bengali and non-Bengali officers. Our previous Chief Secretary was Rajiva Sinha. So why do you play these nasty games with Bengal? You have initiated a political vendetta against the Chief Secretary and I am appealing for a withdrawal of this letter and requesting you to allow him to work for Covid and cyclone-affected people in the state. Let us work as a team."

The Centre had sent the letter to the state government only on May 25 allowing an extension of three months to Bandyopadhyay, who is an officer of the 1987 batch.

"He (the Chief Secretary) is a state's officer. Making a mockery of the country's federal structure, you have given a notice to the head of the state administration without any consultation and without showing him any courtesy. Such an incident has never happened in the history of 74 years of independent India.

You are not only disturbing me but also disturbing my Chief Secretary. It is a humiliation for all Chief Secretaries and disrespect has been shown to all IAS and IPS officers, who are very shocked by such an unconstitutional, one-sided and humiliating move," Banerjee further stated, adding that the Centre uses martial law for Bengal. She also did not turn down the necessity of moving the High Court or Central Administrative Tribunal challenging the recall order as the Centre has already filed a caveat in this regard.

Stating that they (BJP-led Centre) tried to defame her when she was moving from one place to another to save lives, Banerjee said: "My first priority is the people of Bengal. I wouldn't hesitate to touch his (PM's) feet for the sake of the people of this state but I will not tolerate humiliation."

Stating that she had to wait on the tarmac in front of the helipad as there was no clearance from the ATC for her chopper to fly for 20 odd minutes due to security reasons of the Prime Minister's movement, Banerjee said Modi had already reached Kalaikunda when she went and she was made to wait for another 15 to 20 minutes despite her director security Vivek Sahay informing the SPG that she wanted to meet the Prime Minister just to submit the report.

"The SPG told us that it would be possible only after an hour. However, we were told that they had moved to the conference room. So I, along with the Chief Secretary, went there to hand over the report and left the place only after seeking the Prime Minister's permission. I told him about the rough weather as well as regarding the pre-scheduled review meeting at Digha. Then, why was it given such a spin," Banerjee asked.