New Delhi, Sep 5: The Teesta river water sharing pact is unlikely to be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Bangladesh tomorrow from which West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has opted out, indicating the disconnect between the Centre and the state on the issue.
Giving the details of those accompanying the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary Ranajan Mithai did not mention the name of West Bengal Chief Minister while naming her counterparts from Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram.
“The presence of four Chief Ministers underline the importance of the Prime Minister's visit and one more Chief Minister would have been useful,” he said when asked if Banerjee was not going with the Prime Minister.
Asked if her absence will result in India not signing the Teesta accord, he said “in our federal scheme of things, nothing is done or will be done without consulting the state government or Bangladesh.
“Anything agreed between India and Bangladesh would have to be acceptable to the state of West Bengal. We have been and we will continue to consult the state,” he said to a pointed question on whether the crucial deal on the water-sharing of a major river Teesta will be inked.
The deal on Teesta, which originates in Sikkim and flows to Northern part of West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, was a big-ticket item on the agenda of Prime Minister's two-day visit but has now run into uncertainty following Banerjee's reservations on inking the water-sharing pact.
However, the agreement on another common river Feni is likely to be signed with Mathai noting that the final discussions were “underway”.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's Foreign Affairs Adviser Gawher Rizvi said, his country was “disappointed” over the last-minute decision by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to drop out of the visit.
“We will be disappointed if she does not come as she is a great friend of Bangladesh and she has a great following in this country and is a close friend of our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's foreign affairs adviser Gawher Rizvi told PTI.
But he said Bangladesh was sure that she would visit the country very soon and a very warm welcome awaits her. The issue that has prompted her to scrap her planned visit is an internal matter of India, he said.
“But we know that even if she is unable to come tomorrow, she will visit Bangladesh very soon and a very warm welcome awaits when she arrives,” Rizvi said.
“Mamata Banerjee's concern is not directed at Bangladesh. It is something between West Bengal and New Delhi,” Rizvi said.
In Delhi, the CPI disapproved of Mamata Banerjee's “way of protest”. Party leader Gurudas Dasgupta said it does not send a right message. “This is not the way to protest,” Dasgupta told reporters.
Dasgupta said Mamata's refusal does not send the right message to the country or to Bangladesh.
“Her decision is against our political and federal tradition,” the CPI MP said, adding, “If she is not agreeing with Centre's policy.... it can be sorted out here only.” PTI
