NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam. (Image source: ANI)
Addressing a press conference after the NITI Aayog meeting, the NITI Aayog chief executive said Banerjee was asked to speak early before lunch and “it was accepted”
In the latest development, Mamata Banerjee's exit from the NITI Aayog meeting on Saturday came as the chief executive of government agency BVR Subrahmanyam dismissed claims by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that her microphone was switched off while speaking at the meeting.
Subramaniam clarified that each chief minister has a designated time for speaking, which is displayed on a screen at their desk. He further said that the time allotted to the Bengal Chief Minister has ended.
Addressing a press conference after the NITI Aayog meeting, the NITI Aayog chief executive said Banerjee was asked to speak early before lunch, which “has been accepted”.
“The chief minister of West Bengal requested that it be his turn before lunch time,” he said. “I just put the facts before my eyes without any explanation. This was a clear request from their side because normally we proceed in alphabetical order, starting from Andhra Pradesh.” state, then Arunachal Pradesh. We made adjustments and the defense minister called her before Gujarat. So, she made her statement.
“Each chief minister was allotted seven minutes, and there was a clock above the screen showing the remaining time. It went from seven to six to five to four to three. It ended up showing zero. Nothing else happened. Then she said she had wanted to speak more Some time, but she chose not to speak. That was it. We all listened to her views respectfully and they will be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. She continued to attend the meeting even after the chief secretary left to fly to Kolkata,” Subra said. Maniam added.
The CEO also pointed out that as many as 10 states and union territories did not participate in the ninth NITI Aayog Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
Briefing the media, he said that a total of 26 participants attended the meeting, including the Chief Minister and Deputy Governor of the Union Territory.
Among the absentees were Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Puducherry, he Adding, “If they don't attend, it's their loss.” On West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who walked out of the meeting, Subramaniam said she was speaking before lunch 's request has been accepted, although in alphabetical order by state, she was supposed to speak in the afternoon.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday walked out of the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, accusing her of being intimidated when she started talking about the state's Her microphone was deliberately turned off when funds were distributed.
“…I was talking and my microphone stopped. I said why are you stopping me, why are you discriminating against me. I am attending this meeting and you should be happy and not give more to your party and government space. I am the only one in the opposition and you are preventing me from speaking… This is an insult not just to Bengal but to all regional parties…” she claimed.
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