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Centre Vs TMC On President Protocol Row: Mamata Denies Breach, BJP Says 'Women Won't Forgive'
Centre Vs TMC On President Protocol Row: Mamata Denies Breach, BJP Says 'Women Won't Forgive'
A fresh controversy has sparked a war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP-led Centre in poll-bound West Bengal, this time over President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to the state for the 9th International Santal Conference.
The central government has made allegations of protocol violations and a lack of respect shown to Droupadi Murmu, who is India’s first tribal woman president.
The controversy has now moved beyond alleged administrative lapses to a full-blown political tussle, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denying protocol breach and Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the people of the state will not forgive the TMC government over the alleged insult to President Murmu.
In all this, Murmu has herself voiced “anguish" and “disappointment" over the arrangements at the event in North Bengal’s Gosainpur, specifically the absence of Banerjee and other cabinet ministers to receive her upon her arrival at Bagdogra airport near Siliguri. Allegations mismanagement of the event have compounded the issue, with a last-minute change in the venue of the conference that she claimed prevented many members of the Santhal community from attending. While the event was originally scheduled to be held in Bidhannagar, it was moved to Gosainpur on the outskirts of Siliguri – a decision she questioned during her address, saying the original venue had the capacity for a much larger gathering.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the TMC have vehemently denied any breach of protocol, stating that the responsibility for any mismanagement lies elsewhere.
Banerjee said the event in question was organised by a private body and that the state government was not involved in its execution.
“It was a programme of a private organisation. If they could not organise it properly for you, that is their problem," Banerjee said.
She said the state government was not taken into confidence about the details of Murmu’s itinerary. On the specific complaints about logistical failures, such as malfunctioning green rooms and lack of sanitation facilities, she shifted the accountability to the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
“I have cross-checked the information regarding the washroom. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Airports Authority of India… This is not under our area," she said.
On the matter of protocol at the airport, the TMC said Siliguri mayor Goutam Deb was present to receive the President, thus fulfilling the necessary honours. The chief minister justified her own absence by citing her ongoing political commitments.
“I am currently sitting in a dharna, so how could I go?" she asked.
The TMC further launched a sharp counter-offensive, accusing the BJP of hypocrisy on the treatment of the President. During a sit-in protest, Banerjee displayed a photograph showing Prime Minister Modi seated while Murmu remained standing during an event.
“The picture shows that the PM is seated when the President is standing. We never do that. It is the BJP which carries the culture of insulting the President, not us," she alleged.
Adding to this, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee raised broader grievances questioning why the President was not invited to the inauguration of the Ram Mandir or the new Parliament building. He criticised her silence during the period of unrest in Manipur.
The BJP leadership, led by Modi, characterised the incident as a “grave insult" to the nation and its democratic traditions.
Speaking on International Women’s Day, Modi launched a blistering attack on the TMC government describing the treatment of the President as “shameful and unprecedented". He said the “enlightened people" of West Bengal will never forgive the party for disrespecting a woman tribal leader, who holds the highest office in the country.
He accused the TMC of “crossing all limits" and said the boycott of the Santhal tradition celebration was an affront to the tribal society at large.
“The TMC chose to boycott this sacred and important event, which holds great meaning for both the President and the tribal community," Modi said.
He stressed that because the President hails from a tribal background, the mismanagement was a direct blow to the dignity of the Santhal community.
The BJP has maintained that the failure of senior leadership to receive her at the airport was a deliberate snub that mirrors a broader culture of disrespect within the TMC. They linked the incident to a wider failure of the state government, contrasting it with their own government’s initiatives for women’s empowerment such as the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme.
The Prime Minister said while his administration works in “mission mode" to address development, the TMC is preoccupied with insulting constitutional authorities.
As the controversy rages, the Centre has taken formal steps to address the alleged lapses. Union home secretary Govind Mohan directed the West Bengal chief secretary to submit a detailed report regarding the failure to follow prescribed protocol.
This report is expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the last-minute venue change, the route alterations, and the absence of state ministers during the visit.
The President’s own remarks have added a personal dimension to the matter. Despite her disappointment, she referred to herself as a “daughter of Bengal" and called Mamata Banerjee her “younger sister" wondering aloud if the CM was “angry" with her. But these familial overtures have done little to cool the political temperature.
With the elections around the corner, both the BJP and TMC are using this controversy for political gain. While the BJP seeks to project itself as the protector of tribal and women’s rights against an “insulting" state regime, the TMC has framed this incident as manufactured by the government as it only “remembers Bengal when elections approach".
“Like a migratory bird remembering the season, the Prime Minister remembers Bengal only when elections approach. I have already responded to your tweet," Banerjee said.
Source: News18
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