President Draupadi Murmu on Saturday expressed his displeasure over the venue chosen for the 9th International Santal Conference, saying that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee might have been upset and that she did not attend the program despite it being scheduled much earlier.
“Generally, it is observed that when the President comes, the Prime Minister and other ministers remain present. But the Prime Minister did not come. Even I am a daughter of Bengal. I am not allowed to visit Bengal. Mamata Didi is like my younger sister. Maybe she is upset with me and that is why the program has been held so far. But it does not matter,” President Murmu said.
The officials, requesting anonymity, said that although the President’s program was initially supposed to be held at Vansidhwa, it was later shifted near Uturan town in Bidhannagar Maghi Thane, a few kilometers away, citing security protocols.
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Addressing a gathering at Fansidwa near Siliguri in North Bengal, the President said: “It would have been better if the program had been held at this place. It is a huge area. I don’t know what the administration thought. They mentioned that this area is crowded, but I came here easily. But I feel 500,000 people can gather here.”
“I don’t know what came into their mind that they changed the place so that people couldn’t go to Santhal. I didn’t like the atmosphere there, so I came here. I felt frustrated. But I was happy when I came here. The place (where the program was arranged) was far and people couldn’t reach it,” the president added.
“They must have thought the president would leave soon after he came, because there wouldn’t be any audience. Even if they thought that way, thank you. The governor couldn’t come because there was a change. The program was scheduled too early, and then I came,” she said.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Dharna Banerjee, outside Kolkata’s Esplanade Metro station protesting against the alleged arbitrary deletion of several million people during the SIR of electoral rolls, entered its second day on Saturday.
Senior police officials in Darjeeling district refused to comment on the president’s statements.
The President also wondered whether the region, which has a majority tribal population, was witnessing any development. “I don’t think the Santals and Adivasis in this region are seeing any development,” Murmu said.
“It is very unfortunate that the Hon’ble President seems to be under the wrong impression that there has been no development for the Adivasi communities in Bengal,” TMC posted on X while listing some of the projects undertaken by the Mamata Banerjee government for the Scheduled Tribes.
This sparked a political rift between the TMC and the BJP.
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“This is a shame for Bengal. It is because of the TMC and its president Mamata Banerjee that the state had to face this. The president is above all kinds of politics. But the TMC-led government has refused to provide a venue for her programme. The venue has been changed four times, which is as good as not providing a venue. What insult can the TMC do to the president? Such statements from the president are a slap in the face of the Mamata government,” Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said.
“The President should direct her remarks towards the BJP and the Election Commission. The Prime Minister was forced to take to the streets because the BJP and the Election Commission of India are involved in such shameful acts,” TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said.
“These statements made by the President are scripted and politically motivated,” Siliguri Mayor and veteran TMC leader Gautam Deb said.
Reacting to President Murmu’s remarks, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: “We respect the President and have great respect for him. But even the President has been sent to sell politics and the BJP’s agenda. You have fallen into the BJP’s trap. Do we have no other work than receiving guests regularly and accompanying them? If you come once a year, I will receive you. But if you come 50 times a year, how can I give you so much time? I am doing a demonstration for the people all over the country.” Sir, how can I attend your program? You are BJP’s priority, people are my priority.
“You did not say a single word when tribals in Manipur were being tortured. Did the BJP ask you? Why did you not protest when atrocities were happening against tribals in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh? Many tribal voters were removed from the electoral roll. You did not utter a single word about SIR. Do not play politics at the time of elections on BJP’s instructions,” she added.
