The 9th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Saturday. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who came to attend the meeting, alleged that she was not given a chance to speak. Government sources have rejected Mamata’s claims. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Mamata Banerjee has said in the media that her mike has been switched off, this is a complete lie.
‘Mamata’s claim is false’
On Mamata Banerjee’s allegations, Nirmala Sitharaman said, ‘CM Mamata Banerjee attended the NITI Aayog meeting. We all heard them. Each Chief Minister was given allotted time which was visible on the screen installed on every table. He told the media that his mike had been switched off. This is a complete lie.
He further said, ‘Each Chief Minister was given appropriate time to speak. It is unfortunate that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that her mic was switched off, which is not true. They should speak the truth instead of creating a narrative based on lies.
Mamata Banerjee left the meeting midway
Mamata Banerjee left the NITI Aayog meeting midway. He said, ‘I have boycotted the meeting. Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak. CMs of Assam, Goa, Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes. This is wrong.’
She said, ‘From the opposition side, I am the only one representing here and participating in this meeting because I am more interested in strengthening cooperative federalism. NITI Aayog has no financial powers, how will it work? Give it financial strength or bring back the Planning Commission. I lodged my protest and came out.
‘This is an insult to me’
Mamta said, ‘I said give funds to Bengal and do not discriminate. I said that when we run the central government, we should think about all the states. I was telling about the Central Fund that it is not being given to West Bengal, then he muted my mic. I said that from the opposition, I am the only one attending the meeting, you should be happy, instead you are giving more priority to your party and government. This is not only an insult to Bengal, but also an insult to all regional parties. This is an insult to me too.
PM said- Developed India@2047 is the ambition of every Indian
In the NITI Aayog meeting, PM Modi said, ‘Developed India @ 2047 is the ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role in achieving this goal because they are directly connected with the people. He said, ‘This is a decade of changes, technological and geopolitical as well as opportunities. India should take advantage of these opportunities and make its policies favorable for international investment. This is a step towards progress towards making India a developed nation.