The 9th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took an unexpected turn when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked off the meet alleging that her microphone was switched off prematurely.
The accusation was swiftly countered by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and a fact-check by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed she was unfairly interrupted during her speech at the meeting.
After leaving the event, she told media persons that her microphone was muted after just five minutes, while other chief ministers were allowed to speak for longer periods.
“This is insulting. I will not attend any further meetings,” Banerjee declared, adding that other chief ministers, including Andhra Pradesh’s Chandrababu Naidu, were given up to 20 minutes.
Banerjee contended that the disruption occurred because she represented the opposition and was critical of the central government’s policies.
Nirmala Sitharaman’s rebuttal
Reacting to Banerjee’s accusations, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refuted the claims, asserting that every chief minister was given their allotted time, which was displayed on screens before each table.
“It is incorrect to say that Mamata Banerjee's microphone was switched off. The clock showed that her speaking time was over,” Sitharaman explained.
She accused Banerjee of spreading "falsehoods" and urged her to speak the truth about the incident.
PIB fact check
The Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check division also dismissed Banerjee’s claim as misleading. They clarified that the clock indicated her speaking time had ended, and no bell was rung to signal the conclusion.
“It is being claimed that the microphone of CM, West Bengal was switched off during the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog. This claim is #Misleading. The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it,” PIB Fact Check posted on X.
The PIB also noted that Banerjee was accommodated as the seventh speaker upon an official request from the West Bengal government, despite her turn being scheduled post-lunch according to the alphabetical order.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi remarked that he had not witnessed the incident personally but criticized the opposition’s alliance, referring to it as the so-called INDI alliance. “They are not able to digest the mandate of the people; they are crying foul,” Joshi said.
Mamata Banerjee’s allegations
Banerjee reiterated her grievances, stating, “I have come out boycotting the meeting. (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister) Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak. The chief ministers of Assam, Goa, and Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes.”
She maintained that she attended the meeting to advocate for cooperative federalism and to highlight the politically biased nature of the Union Budget 2024-25.
“The NITI Aayog has no financial powers. How will it work? Give it financial powers or bring the Planning Commission back,” she argued.
Banerjee also raised issues regarding central funds owed to West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and the Prime Minister Awas Yojana.
She voiced concerns about the central government’s discrimination against states ruled by opposition parties.
Banerjee called for a review of the Union Budget, accusing it of being politically motivated and biased against certain states.
“I said you are politically biased, you are not giving attention to different states. Even the budget is a political, biased budget.... I told them it should be reviewed. I spoke for all states,” she asserted.
Despite her intention to speak further, Banerjee claimed she was cut off after five minutes. “I wanted to speak more but my microphone was switched off after five minutes. I was the only one from the opposition but I was stopped. This is insulting. I will not attend any further meetings,” she said.
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