Mamata slams PMO: Stop humiliating me, left meeting after asking PM thrice
Mamata also called the Centre's decision to recall her Chief Secretary as an unconstitutional, illegal and one-sided decision aimed at humiliating the chief secretary, chief minister and the state government.
FollowWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday slammed the Prime Minister's Office for spreading a false narrative about the events that transpired during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state to assess the damage caused by cyclone Yaas.
A fuming Mamata said," If the Prime Minister told her to touch his feet for help to come to West Bengal, I am ready to do that. But please do not humiliate me. Do not insult me like this. Don't defame West Bengal. Why is PMO manipulating news? You are pressurising the Press to carry that news," Mamata claimed.
Accusing the Prime Minister of creating confusion every time he visits the state, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, "With his kind permission, I mentioned thrice 'Sir, with your kind permission, may we leave?' After that, we went to Digha. Today also, I surveyed areas like Nandigram and Haldia. There also my Chief Secretary accompanied me. But from yesterday, they have shown some vacant chair to show that I did not sit there."
"Why should I sit? I discussed the matter with you (Prime Minister). There was no chair next to where the Prime Minister was sitting. Only his seat was there, and side seats were there for us. So what is the need for me to sit there when so many political leaders are sitting who are not even entitled to attend the PM-CM's meeting? So who violated the norms? We never. We have attended every virtual meeting called by the Prime Minister and Home Minister. Do you think that if I don't attend one meeting, they can give me a bad name and defame me? Sometimes, we have some other work also," Mamata said.
Targeting the Department of Personnel for recalling the West Bengal Chief Secretary, the chief minister said, "What was the fault of the chief secretary? He was working with me in Digha. He is a state government officer. He is due to retire on May 31. Do you have any courtesy? Yes, his services have been extended for three months with the Centre's sanction so that he could assist in Covid management and cyclone Yaas rehabilitation. Now you are calling him back? Under which rules? You are humiliating my chief secretary. This is unconstitutional, illegal and one-sided decision to humiliate the chief secretary, to humiliate the chief minister, to humiliate my government."
