Nirmala Sitharaman responds to Mamata Banerjee's ‘mic stopped' claim, 'she should speak truth'

Nirmala Sitharaman responds to Mamata Banerjee's ‘mic stopped' claim, 'she should speak truth'

 



While the government's Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Saturday pursued Mamata Banerjee's claim that her microphone was switched off after she spoke for five minutes at the NITI Aayog meeting, India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also criticised the West Bengal Chief Minister.


Banerjee claimed that other chief ministers were allowed to speak for longer. "It's an insult. I will not attend future meetings," she added.

Prime Minister Modi chaired the ninth meeting of the NITI Aayog governing body, with a goal of making India a developed country by 2047.

The Finance Minister added that the claim that her microphone was switched off is completely false.


Reacting to Mamata Banerjee's allegations, Nirmala Sitharaman said: "CM Mamata Banerjee attended the Niti Aayog meeting. We all listened to her. Every CM had an allotted time to speak, which was displayed on a screen placed in front of each table..."

"She has said in the media that every CM had an allotted speaking time...It is unfortunate that the Chief Minister of West Bengal Ms Mamata Banerjee has alleged that her microphone was switched off, which is not true...She should speak the truth instead of reconstructing the story based on falsehoods," Nirmala Sitharaman told ANI.


The government rejected Ms Banerjee's allegations and said that her speaking time has ended.


PIB Fact Check, in a post on X, said the claim that Banerjee's microphone was switched off was "misleading". "The clock was just indicating that her time to speak was up," it said.


The TMC leader said there was nothing wrong with them (the government) giving special consideration to some states. Ms Banerjee asked, "Why do we discriminate against other states? This needs to be checked. I speak on behalf of all states." I said they only give instructions but we are to work,"

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin spoke out in support of the West Bengal Chief Minister.


"Is this cooperative federalism? Is this the attitude towards the Prime Minister? The BJP coalition government needs to understand that the Opposition is an integral part of our democracy and should not be treated like an enemy that must be silenced," he said in a post on X.


"Cooperative federalism requires dialogue and respect for all voices," Stalin added.


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July 27, 2024 at 04:34PM

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