Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to West Bengal to assess the damages caused by the cyclone Yaas kicked up a political row as Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee "skipped" a review meeting inviting "petty politics" charge from the BJP.
Banerjee, however, insisted that she was not aware of the review meeting convened by the Prime Minister at Kalaikunda in West Medinipur district to assess the damages caused by the cyclone.
A political storm also brewed over the Mamata-Modi meeting on May 20 when the Prime Minister discussed Covid-19 strategy with states.
Hitting out at Banerjee, BJP Chief J P Nadda said the Chief Minister's absence from the PM’s meeting is "murder of constitutional ethos and the culture of cooperative federalism".
Nadda said, "Banerjee's tactics and petty politics has once again come to haunt the people of Bengal. When PM Modi stands strong with the citizens of West Bengal in wake of cyclone Yaas, Mamata ji should also set aside her ego for the welfare of people..."
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar also criticised the Chief Minister stating that such “boycott” was not in consonance with the Constitution.
“At the Review Meet by PM #CycloneYaas to assess damage caused. CM and officials@MamataOfficial did not participate. Such boycott not in consonance with the constitution and federalism. Certainly by such actions neither public interest nor interest of state has been served,” tweeted Dhankhar.
The Chief Minister, however, speaking to reporters after the meeting said that she and Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay met the Prime Minister briefly at Kalaikunda and handed him the report of damages caused by the cyclone in Bengal seeking a package of Rs 20,000 crore.
She also expressed her doubt whether West Bengal will get any help from the Centre to deal with damages caused by the cyclone.
“Then we went to Kalaikunda because the Prime Minister called a meeting. But we were not aware of it. We had a program in Digha. Even then we went to Kalaikunda. There the Chief Secretary and I handed over a report of the damages caused by the cyclone to the Prime Minister,” said Mamata.
She also said that after submitting the report she told the Prime Minister that he may do what he sees fit.
“We told the Prime Minister that this is our report and you do what you see fit. So far we have assessed damages worth Rs 20,000 crore. We proposed two schemes. One is a Rs 10,000 crore package for the development of Digha and another is a Rs 10,000 crore package for the development of Sundarban. We may not get anything,” said Mamata.
She said that she told the Prime Minister that she came to Kalaikunda since he wanted to meet her and then took his leave after submitting the report stating that she has to go to Digha in East Medinipur district.
“I told the Prime Minister that since you wanted to meet him, I have come here. We are submitting this report to you. I have to go to Digha. So with your permission, I am taking your leave,” said Mamata.
Her one-time close aide turned rival Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly called it a "dark day" in India’s long-standing ethos of cooperative federalism and alleged that Banerjee has shown once again that "she is insensitive to the sufferings of the people of West Bengal."
He said that on previous occasions, Modi has reviewed floods, cyclone situations with different CMs who belonged to non-NDA parties but "none of these CMs behaved the way Mamata Didi behaved today. There is a time for politics and a time for governance. Didi can’t comprehend that."
Modi visited Odisha and West Bengal and held review meetings in both states on the post-cyclone situation. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik attended the meeting with Modi.
The relationship of Banerjee with Centre has hardly been a smooth affair with both accusing each other of acting as impediment in their respective responsibilities. Banerjee also raised charges of 'misusing' central agencies to 'harass' her.
On May 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with district magistrates of 54 of 100 districts with highest Covid loads had got into a political row with Banerjee calling the meeting a "casual and super flop meeting" in which "only CMs of BJP-ruled states were allowed to speak and others were reduced to puppets."
BJP had then called Banerjee's conduct as "shameful, indignified, condemnable and least expected from the Chief Minister of a large state like West Bengal".