‘Don’t Insult Me Like This’: Mamata on PM’s Cyclone Meet Row

‘Mamata Banerjee’s absence from PM Modi’s meeting is murder of Constitutional ethos,’ BJP Chief JP Nadda said.

The BJP on Friday, 28 May, had slammed Mamata Banerjee over her alleged “absence” from PM Modi’s meeting on Cyclone Yaas.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday, 29 May, hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a day after a row over the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the damage caused by Cyclone ‘Yaas’.

Her address came a day after the Cente ordered Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay to return to Delhi by 31 May.

Urging PM Modi to withdraw the order, Banerjee said, “I am urging you to withdraw this order against Chief Secretary. Please allow him to work amidst this pandemic and also carry out post-cyclone relief work.”

"What was the fault of the Chief Secretary? He was working with me, he is a state government officer. Vacant chairs were shown deliberately to project my government in poor light," the Chief Minister said.

“By doing this you are insulting all Chief Secretaries across the nation – in all states. Do you think the IAS, IPS, and other civil services do not have a lobby? Do not insult or challenge them. They work very hard.”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

“I had other meetings to attend, took PM’s permission before leaving. Please don’t humiliate me,” Banerjee said.

"We have got a landslide victory, is that why you are behaving like this? You tried everything and lost. Why are you quarrelling with us every day?" Banerjee added.

Banerjee also said that she was "willing to touch PM Modi's feet if it soothed his ego – if that helps the people of Bengal".

BJP Chief JP Nadda on Friday slammed Banerjee over her alleged "absence" from PM Modi's meeting on Cyclone ‘Yaas’, saying it is a "murder of Constitutional ethos and the culture of cooperative federalism".

‘She's Resorting to Lies’: BJP’s Suvendu

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari reacted to Banerjee's address and told ANI, "Today in a presser the CM said she didn't attend the meeting due to the presence of opposition leaders. She's resorting to lies to satisfy her ego as she thinks of herself as not just West Bengal CM but entire country's.”

Earlier in the day, Mamata had said, "It (the meeting) was supposed to be held between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. Why were BJP leaders called to the session?"

She had also mentioned that the Opposition leaders were not invited to similar review meetings in the states of Gujarat and Odisha.

"All lies. BJP's Pradipta Kumar Naik, Odisha Assembly LoP was called (at meeting in state). Likewise, Congress' AR Chowdhury, LoP in WB Assembly was called (at the meeting in WB)," Adhikari told ANI.