As West Bengal is abuzz over the Partha Chatterjee incident and the ED’s role in it, political experts say, the upcoming PM Modi-Mamata Banerjee meeting will take on a different significance. The TMC supremo said yesterday, “Our party will accept what the law will judge in court. No matter how extreme the punishment, we will not interfere in the trial. I don’t mind even if anyone gets a life imprisonment!”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to come to New Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting on August 7. Political sources have informed about this possibility. The Prime Minister will hold the meeting with the Chief Ministers of various states amid tension in the Centre-State relations and disputes over GST. It is not certain when Mamata Banerjee is coming to Delhi, but there is a possibility that she will reach Delhi by August 6th. Although, it is not yet clear whether Mamata will have a separate meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence or not! But if she attends the meeting, she will meet Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Mamata did not attend the virtual meeting of this council last year. Before that, Mamata also avoided the last face-to-face meeting with the Prime Minister in 2019. She argued that nothing is done in this NITI Aayog meeting. According to the political circles, if Mamata comes this time, then the Chief Minister will move away from her previous position. Earlier in May, Modi and Mamata met for a tea ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi at a conference on the judiciary. And in November last year, the Chief Minister came to Delhi and held a meeting with the Prime Minister to invite the Prime Minister to the World Bengal Trade Conference.
As West Bengal is abuzz over the Partha Chatterjee incident and the ED’s role in it, political experts say, the upcoming PM Modi-Mamata Banerjee meeting will take on a different significance. The Trinamool leader said yesterday, “Our party will accept what the law will judge in court. No matter how extreme the punishment, we will not interfere in the trial. I don’t mind even if anyone gets a life imprisonment!”
Incidentally, earlier the Trinamool leadership was seen moving against the Modi government inside and outside the parliament and in the state by using central investigative agencies to put political pressure on the Non-BJP states. Trinamool Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are yet to discuss the ED-CBI in the current monsoon session after the Partha Chatterjee incident. Naturally, Delhi’s political circles are curious about the upcoming meeting between Modi and Mamata.
Read More: Indian Railways to Cancel 17 Trains on Saturday and Sunday till August 31; Check Full List Here
During Mamata’s possible visit to Delhi, several aspects of the Centre-State relationship are in political exercise. Jagdeep Dhankhar has been nominated for the post of Vice President. After this, the centre has not yet announced who will be the governor of West Bengal (La Ganesha in charge temporarily). Besides, Mamata did not support opposition candidate Margaret Alva for the post of Vice President. So far, his party has decided to refrain from voting in the vice-presidential election. Significantly, the day before the NITI Aayog meeting, i.e. the 6th, the Vice President vote. The results will be published on the same day.
According to political sources, Mamata may meet some opposition leaders when she comes to Delhi. According to sources, preparations are being made to hold a press conference for her. Significantly, she is coming to the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting at a time when his party is agitating over the non-payment of dues of central schemes to West Bengal. Seven Trinamool MPs have been suspended for this week for rumblings in the Rajya Sabha over price hike and GST issues. The Trinamool parliamentary leaders say that the Modi government is besieging the state economically. The federal structure is under attack. Chief Minister Mamata also accused the BJP-ruled state of giving extra benefits by depriving the state of schemes like 100 days of work.
