Why was Bengal CM prevented by Home ministry to attend meet in Rome: asks BJP leader Subramanian Swamy

Kolkata: Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy raised questions on the Modi government's move to restrict Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from attending the World Meeting for Peace in Rome.

In a tweet on Sunday morning, Swamy stated: "Why was Bengal CM Mamata prevented by Home Ministry from attending an international conference in Rome? Which law prevented her going?"

It was the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday that communicated to the Bengal government that "event (in Rome) is not commensurate for the level of Chief Minister" despite the Bengal government had informed the Centre's about the invitation to Banerjee — as only Indian to be the part of the international event that has been named this year as "Peoples as Brothers, Future Earth" on October 6 and 7 – in the month of August.

"I think I should do a tutorial on Article 19 of the Constitution which includes freedom of travel as a fundamental right but subject to reasonable restrictions. SC in many judgments has given the scope of these restrictions. But scope does not include reason of "not fit for CM," Swamy further stated in his tweet.

Banerjee on Saturday had claimed that permission was not granted to her just out of jealousy. She had said: "The Centre has hatched conspiracy" and denied clearance allowing visit Rome to address the World Meeting for Peace just out of jealousy".

Banerjee has not been allowed to attend a meeting in which his Holiness Pope Francis, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Great Imam of Al-Azhar (Egypt) HE Ahmad al Tayyib and Gemran Chancellor Angela Merkel would be present and Banerjee would have represented the country.

Moreover, she was the only person from the entire Asia to get the invitation.