The Centre on Saturday (July 27) refuted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claim that her microphone was switched off during the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI as "misleading." In a statement released by their fact-checking team, the government asserted that her claim was misleading and the clock only showed that her speaking time was over. "Even the bell was not rung to mark it," the Centre's fact-checking team said.
"Alphabetically, the CM of West Bengal's turn would have come after lunch. However, she was accommodated as the 7th speaker on an official request from the West Bengal government as she had to return early," the statement added.
'As I was speaking, my mic was stopped'
It's pertinent to note that the West Bengal Chief Minister, who was earlier in Delhi for the NITI Aayog's Governing Council meeting, created a furor after she claimed to have boycotted the meeting due to the Centre's step-motherly treatment towards West Bengal.
Speaking to reporters after leaving the meeting midway, the TMC supremo has claimed, "I have come out boycotting the meeting. Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak, and CMs of Assam, Goa, and Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes. This is unfair. From the opposition side, only I am representing here and attending this meeting because of the greater interest that cooperative federalism should be strengthened. Even the Budget also... this is a politically biased Budget. I said, 'Why are you discriminating against other states?' NITI Aayog has no financial powers, how will it work? Give it financial powers or bring back the Planning Commission."
Significantly, the TMC supremo during her statement to the media also alleged that her mic was stopped as she was speaking. "I was speaking, my mic was stopped. I said why did you stop me, why are you discriminating. I am attending the meeting you should be happy instead of that you are giving more scope to your party your government. Only I am there from the opposition and you are stopping me from speaking...This is not only the insult of Bengal but also of all regional parties...," she added.
'Mamata Banerjee's claims are not true'
Meanwhile, it is important to note that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also spoke against Banerjee's claim while stating that it was not true.
"CM Mamata Banerjee attended the Niti Aayog meeting. We all heard her. Every CM was given the allotted time, and that was displayed on the screen, which was present before every table... She said in the media that her mic was put off. That is completely false. Every CM was given their due time to speak...It's unfortunate that the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has claimed that her microphone was switched off, which is not true... She should speak the truth behind this rather than again build a narrative based on falsehood," the Finance Minister added.
READ MORE | Mamata Banerjee leaves NITI Aayog meeting midway, says 'As I was speaking, my mic was stopped'
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