'It's Unfortunate': PIB Fact-Checks Mamata's 'Mic Shut' Claim, Sitharaman Lashes Out At Her Amid NITI Meet Row

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman lambasted West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over her allegations of latter’s mic being switched off during the ongoing NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi. She said that it’s unfortunate that a chief minister is framing a false narrative. She urged that Banerjee should speak the truth behind this rather than again build a narrative based on falsehood.

“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,” news agency ANI quoted Sitharaman as saying.

Her remarks came after Banerjee alleged that her that her microphone was deliberately switched off when she started speaking about the allocation of funds for the state. She then walked out of the ongoing meeting.

“…I was speaking, my mic was stopped. I said why did you stop me, why are you discriminating. I am attending the meeting you should be happy instead of that you are giving more scope to your party your government. Only I am there from the opposition and you are stopping me from speaking…This is not only the insult of Bengal but also of all regional parties…” she alleged.

Banerjee further said that she was the only opposition voice at the meeting but claimed she was still not given proper time while other speakers before her spoke for 10-15 mins, including Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu who she said spoke for around 20 minutes.

“I don’t have any problem with them giving special attention to some states. I asked why were they discriminating against other states. This should be reviwed. I am speaking for all the states. I said that we are the ones who work while they only give directions,” she said.

The chief minister said that the move is an insult to all the regional parties, and she walked out of the ongoing meeting. She further said that she will never attend any NITI Aayog meeting in future.

However, the government in a statement said it is a misleading claim by the CM that her microphone was switched off. “Claim that microphone of West Bengal CM was switched off during the meeting correct. The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it. Alphabetically, her turn would have come after lunch. She was accommodated as the 7th speaker on an official request of West Bengal government as she had to return early,” the PIB said in a post on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired the ninth governing council meeting of the public policy think-tank to discuss making India a developed nation by 2047 on agenda.

In the meeting, the prime minister said that Viksit Bharat is ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role to achieve this aim as they are directly connected with the people.

“This decade is of changes, technological & geo-political, and also of opportunities. India should grab these opportunities and make our policies conducive for international investments. This is the stepping stone for progress to make India a developed nation,” the Aayog posted on X citing the prime minister.

Union minister and BJP leader Pralhad Joshi also condemned Banerjee’s act. “I have not seen what has happened in the (NITI Aayog) meeting. I can only say this so-called INDI alliance is not at all an alliance because Mamata did not give a single seat to Congress in West Bengal. They are not able to digest the mandate of the people, they are crying foul,” he said to ANI.

Opposition reacts:

Meanwhile, the opposition leaders slammed the Narendra Modi-led Centre on Banerjee’s allegations.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin condemned the act and questioned that is it a way to treat an elected chief minister in a meeting.

“Is this #CooperativeFederalism? Is this the way to treat a Chief Minister? The Union BJP government must understand that opposition parties are an integral part of our democracy and should not be treated as enemies to be silenced. Cooperative Federalism requires dialogue and respect for all voices,” he said in a post on X.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury hit out at Mamata Banerjee and said that the latter went to the meeting just for a show. He said that everyone in the opposition requested her not to attend the meeting but she gave clear signal that she will do drama.

Several opposition-ruled states’ chief ministers, including Tamil Nadu’s MK Stalin, Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, decided to give it a miss as a mark of protest against the Union budget which, they alleged, was “anti-federal” in spirit and “extremely discriminatory” towards their states.

Defying the opposition alliance’s stand, Banerjee had decided to attend the meeting. She said that she would join the meeting and use the opportunity to register her protest against a “discriminatory budget” and the “conspiracy to divide West Bengal and other opposition-ruled states”.