New Delhi: The NITI Aayog has issued a clarification following West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegations that her microphone was switched off during the recent Governing Council meeting. NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subramaniam addressed the issue, stating that Banerjee was allotted the first speaking slot before lunch, as per her request, and was allowed to speak for the full stipulated time.
Subramaniam explained that Banerjee was given a 7-minute time slot, during which she presented her points. As her time concluded, the Defence Minister tapped her to indicate the end of her allotted time. According to Subramaniam, Banerjee did not request additional time and subsequently left the meeting. He emphasised that all Chief Ministers present were provided with a full opportunity to speak.
The CEO also noted that Chief Ministers from eight states and two Union Territories were absent from the meeting. among them, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was unable to attend due to the ongoing budget session of the Bihar Assembly. Overall, the meeting saw the attendance of 26 Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors, with notable absences from states governed by the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed an initiative to create villages with zero per cent poverty, stressing the need to eliminate poverty at the grassroots level. Vision documents concerning India’s development were also presented, outlining strategies for achieving this goal.
Following the meeting, Mamata Banerjee travelled directly to Kolkata, where she reiterated her complaints, claiming that she was not allowed to speak freely during the NITI Aayog meeting and that her microphone was repeatedly turned off. She expressed concerns about perceived discrimination against Bengal in the allocation of central funds.
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