NITI Aayog: Nirmala Sitharaman dismisses, PIB debunks CM Mamata Banerjee's 'mic off' allegation
Following her walkout from the meeting, CM Banerjee alleged that she was not given equal speaking time compared to other chief ministers. However, Sitharaman refuted this, saying that all speakers were given their allotted time, which was displayed on screens visible to everyone present.
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FollowUnion Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday (July 27) dismissed allegations made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that she was allegedly interrupted during her speech at the 9th NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The West Bengal CM claimed that her microphone was switched off after just five minutes, while other chief ministers were allowed to speak for longer periods.
Following her walkout from the meeting, CM Banerjee alleged that she was not given equal speaking time compared to other chief ministers. However, Sitharaman refuted this, saying that all speakers were given their allotted time, which was displayed on screens visible to everyone present.
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"CM Mamata Banerjee attended the NITI Aayog meeting. We all heard her. Every CM was given the allotted time and that was displayed on the screen which was present before every table... She said in the media that her mic was put off. That is completely false. Every CM was given their due time to speak. It's unfortunate that the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has claimed that her mic was switched off, which is not true. She should speak the truth behind this rather than again build a narrative based on falsehood," Sitharaman told media.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check, a unit under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, also labeled Banerjee's claim as "misleading." The PIB clarified that the clock simply indicated her speaking time was over, and the bell to signal the end of her allotted time did not even ring.
"It is being claimed that the microphone of CM, West Bengal was switched off during the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog. This claim is #Misleading. The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it," PIB Fact Check posted on X.
The PIB also noted that Banerjee was allowed to speak earlier than scheduled, as an official request from the West Bengal government indicated she needed to return early. "Alphabetically, CM, West Bengal turn would have come after lunch. She was accommodated as the 7th speaker on an official request of the West Bengal government as she had to return early," it added.
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Mamata Banerjee, however, reiterated her dissatisfaction, saying that while chief ministers from NDA-ruled states were allowed to speak for longer durations, she was cut off prematurely. "This is insulting. I will not attend any further meeting," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader declared.
"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, Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes," Banerjee told reporters.
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