If the era of acrimonious politics had a face, then none fits the thumbnail image better than Mamata Banerjee who once again showed that winning electoral politics doesn’t impart humility to a person. The West Bengal Chief Minister on Friday, true to her fickle nature stoked another controversy by making the country’s Prime Minister deliberately wait for over 30 minutes and later ditching the meeting altogether.
PM Narendra Modi was on a visit to Odisha and West Bengal to conduct a review meeting with the state CMs to gauge the impact of Cyclone Yaas. After meeting Odisha CM, the PM landed in Kolkata where CM Mamata was expected to attend him and later join the review meeting.
Seat reserved for WB CM remains empty
PM @narendramodi, WB gov & Union mins kept waiting for 30 mins: Sources
WB CM,her CS were in same premises
“PM took out time to review damage in WB.. Never before in history has any CM behaved in such ugly, disrespectful arrogant way:ofcls pic.twitter.com/thpMLUdB18
— Rohan Dua (@rohanduaT02) May 28, 2021
However, Mamata didn’t show up at the airport and to make matters worse, showed up 30 minutes late at the review meeting, despite being on the same premises. Upon entering the meeting, Mamata Banerjee hurriedly handed over papers related to the cyclone impact and left the premises claiming she had other engagements.
“You wanted to meet me that is why I have come today. I and my Chief Secretary want to submit this report to you. Now we have a meeting at Digha so we seek your permission to leave,” the Chief Minister was quoted as saying.
West Bengal CM & Chief Secy arrived late by 30mins for cyclone review meet despite being in the same premises, according to sources. WB CM upon entering review meet handed over papers related to the cyclone impact & said that other meetings were lined up and left, as per sources. pic.twitter.com/h9dJcCT50V
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021
A photo tweeted by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar showed the Prime Minister heading the meeting with BJP leader and MLA from Nandigram, Suvendu Adhikari and other officials seated to his left and empty chairs to his right. The chairs were left empty in the hope that Mamata Banerjee might have a change in heart and somehow attend the meeting.
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“At the Review Meet by PM #CycloneYaas to assess damage caused. CM and officials @MamataOfficial did not participate. Such boycott bot in consonance with constitution and federalism. Certainly by such actions neither public interest nor interest of state has been served.” tweeted Governor Dhankar.
https://twitter.com/jdhankhar1/status/1398262997814943747
While West Bengal and her egotistic leader gave another proof of her passive-aggressive behaviour, another opposition CM in Naveen Patnaik, who is highly revered by critics and fans alike showed utmost grace in following the protocols. Not only did the Odisha CM attend the review meeting with PM, but he also took to Twitter to announce that in light of the situation in the country due to the pandemic, his government would not seek any financial assistance from the centre.
“As the country is at the peak of COVID19 pandemic, we have not sought any immediate financial assistance to burden the Central Govt and would like to manage it through our own resources to tide over the crisis,” Patnaik tweeted.
Thank you Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji for visiting #Odisha in the aftermath of #CycloneYaas. Apprised him about the large scale devastation caused by the cyclone and steps taken by the State Govt ahead of the cyclone and the ongoing restoration efforts. #OdishaFightsYaas pic.twitter.com/RG1dQpLcp0
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) May 28, 2021
Perhaps, it was the respect shown by Patnaik that the PM quickly announced immediate financial assistance of Rs.500 Cr to Odisha and expressed his solidarity with those affected due to Cyclone Yaas.
Meanwhile, reported previously by TFI, much before Cyclone Yaas had made landfall in the region, Mamata Banerjee had started crying discrimination over the relief money when the Met department had specifically predicted a worse impact in Odisha than Bengal.
At a time of a calamity when political lines and ideologies amount to nothing, Mamata and her false sense of bravado could prove to be the undoing for the common public of Bengal.
She won the election fair and square, indulged in rampant killing of BJP workers and yet the TMC supremo appears to not have had her fill. And those liberal media journalists that are cheering on this behaviour are the perfect microcosmic example of why leaders like Mamata have managed to stay in mainstream politics, despite being utterly toxic and insecure in nature.
Jihadi Momota insulted the Prime Minister of India who was visiting her ‘country’ – because she knows that by this action, her stock will shoot up tremendously among her supporters ! Her Bhai jaan’s will cheer her wildly, and Dada log will also puff their chests at how their Banglar Gorbo has the shown the PM of India his place 😓