Will Mamata Banerjee Attend the Niti Aayog Meeting?

Synopsis
As the Niti Aayog meeting led by PM Modi approaches, the attendance of West Bengal's CM Mamata Banerjee remains uncertain. Will she attend or send a representative? This article delves into the controversies surrounding her past attendance and the current political climate.
Key Takeaways
- Mamata Banerjee's attendance at the Niti Aayog meeting remains uncertain.
- Her previous meeting was marked by significant controversy.
- The Union Government refuted her claims of discrimination.
- Her decision could impact political dynamics between her party and the BJP.
- This meeting is crucial for national policy discussions.
Kolkata, May 17 (NationPress) As the pivotal meeting of the Niti Aayog, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approaches on May 24, uncertainty looms regarding whether Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend.
A senior official from the state Cabinet has revealed that the Chief Minister has not communicated any intentions either within the Cabinet or the party regarding her presence at the Niti Aayog meeting, nor if she plans to send a representative in her stead.
“She will announce her decision at the appropriate time,” stated the Cabinet member, confirming that there are no prior engagements scheduled for the Chief Minister in the state on the day of the Niti Aayog meeting.
It is worth mentioning that the previous Niti Aayog meeting on July 27 last year was marred by controversy when Mamata Banerjee exited the meeting after alleging that her microphone was muted while she spoke, limiting her to just five minutes on the floor.
Mamata Banerjee accused the organizers of showing bias against her in this regard.
She argued that while she was restricted to five minutes for her speech, other representatives were allotted between 10 to 20 minutes.
However, the Union Government refuted her claims through a statement from the Press Information Bureau.
The PIB’s announcement asserted that Mamata Banerjee's time to speak had concluded, and notably, the signal to indicate her time was up had not been activated.
Interestingly, Mamata Banerjee was the sole Chief Minister from non-NDA states to participate in the last Niti Aayog meeting.
She chose to attend despite the collective decision of Chief Ministers from the Opposition INDIA bloc to boycott the event.
This decision led to speculation among some members of the opposition about a possible hidden agreement between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress.