Oppn backs Mamata’s walkout, likely to raise issue in Parliament

Kolkata: The walkout of Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the Niti Aayog meeting after her microphone was allegedly turned off, seems to have further united the INDIA bloc parties against the BJP and soon protests are likely to be made in Parliament against “gagging” Opposition voices.

After exiting the meeting, Banerjee had told the media: “I have come out boycotting the meeting. [Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister] Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak. The chief ministers of Assam, Goa and Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was barred from speaking after just five minutes. This is unfair. From the Opposition side, I was the only one here. I attended the meeting because cooperative federalism should be strengthened”.

She said: “This is insulting and I will not attend any meeting further. They (BJP) are politically biased. They are not giving the proper attention to different states. I don’t have any problem with them giving special attention to some states. I asked why they were discriminating against other states. This should be reviewed.”

Even as Congress’s Bengal faction led by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called the entire episode a drama, the party’s top rung has apparently thrown their weight behind Banerjee by criticizing the BJP for how she was allegedly stopped from speaking at the meeting.

“Since it was established ten years ago, NITI Aayog has been an attached office of the PMO and has functioned as a drumbeater for the non-biological PM. It has not advanced the cause of cooperative federalism in any manner. Its functioning has been blatantly partisan, and it is anything but professional and independent,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X. Sources said Ramesh had clear instructions from Rahul Gandhi to extend support to Banerjee. Other Opposition political parties too backed her.

Meanwhile, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee is expected to leave for Delhi again to attend the Parliament session where the issue of “insulting” a senior politician like Mamata Banerjee will be raised. The Opposition parties are likely to protest against BJP’s move to “gag Opposition parties”. Sources said Abhishek may meet the opposition leaders to chalk out a more aggressive strategy to attack the BJP.