TMC shuns Modi’s swearing-in ceremony

Kolkata: Under instructions of its party chairperson Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress (TMC) decided to skip Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.

Narendra Modi was scheduled to take oath as Prime Minister at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7.15 pm on Sunday. Before the ceremony, those set to be part of the council of ministers were scheduled to attend a tea party at the Prime Minister’s residence. It was learnt that TMC’s leader in the Lok Sabha, Sudip Bandopadhyay has told the media: “BJP leader Prahlad Joshi had called and invited us to attend the swearing-in ceremony, but our party has decided not to participate.”

Sudip’s remark gained significance in the wake of Mamata Banerjee announcing on Saturday that her party will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government. “Neither have we received an invitation nor are we attending it,” she had said. During a closed-door meeting with MPs, Banerjee is learnt to have expressed her belief that the NDA government would not complete its full term. “Mamata Didi told us that she is confident that with BJP not getting the majority mark, the NDA government won’t last long,” a senior TMC leader present at the meeting told the media.

Banerjee, on Saturday, said: “The NDA government to be formed will be unstable. BJP has not secured a majority; they are dependent on allies. Let’s see how long they can get along with their allies.” She remarked that as the mandate was against Modi, “he should have stepped down this time and allowed someone else to take over”. “Those who spoke of 400 (Lok Sabha seats) could not get even a simple majority on their own,” she remarked. She asserted: “Ultimately, the INDIA bloc will form the government in the coming days.”