Look Who's Sitting? Mamata Uses 2024 Photo To Hit Back At BJP Amid President Murmu's Bengal Visit Row

Kolkata: In a sharp retort to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charges against Mamata Banerjee on International Women's Day, over the controversy around the visit of President Droupadi Murmu in West Bengal, the Chief Minister shared a photograph back from 2024 where the President is seen standing while PM Modi is seated, highlighting lack of respect for the Chair as well as showing disrespect towards a woman.

“President is standing and Prime Minister is sitting. We never do it. Even if a single woman comes, we stand up out of respect,” Banerjee said on Sunday.

The photograph she was referring to, printed in the form of a flex banner and shown to everyone at the central Kolkata sit-in platform, is from March 2024 when President Murmu presented the Bharat Ratna to senior BJP leader LK Advani. 

The photo captured the moment when PM Modi was seated next to Advani as President Murmu award the country's highest civilian honour to the stalwart politician.

The controversy over disrepecting the President and the Santhal community was triggered when President Murmu expressed displeasure with the West Bengal government for not receiving her upon arrival, and not attending her tribal community event in north Bengal's Darjeeling. The episode quickly snowballed into a full-blown political confrontation between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP, just ahead of the state assembly elections.

Banerjee clarified that the area where the event was held belongs to the Airport Authority of India and if the President had felt anything out of place, the fault lies with the organizers of the private event. The Trinamool Congress supremo even got to the alleged root of the controversy saying that issue has only flared up because the assembly elections are around the corner.

“We give full respect to the Chair, we give full respect to our Constitution. Our Constitution is our mother, our Constitution is for our country. We don't disrespect our Chair. We always give due respect to the Chair. You are targeting Bengal only because election is coming!” the Chief Minister said.

Explaining that she was not present at the International Santal Conference in Darjeeling only due to logistical issues or failure in coordination, she said, “Our Mayor was present there. I am at a dharna. How can I leave the place? I was not aware of your program before the dharna. I am fighting the battle for the people, for their voting rights.”

What PM Modi Said

Meanwhile, addressing a public event in the national capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the TMC government of showing "gross disrespect" towards President Droupadi Murmu. 

PM Modi said that while President Murmu had visited the state to attend a celebration honouring the Santhal tribal tradition, the Trinamool Congress allegedly boycotted the event. He further said that the event held special significance for the President and the tribal community, since President Murmu herself comes from a tribal background.

"Today, as the nation celebrates International Women's Day, it is deeply concerning that just yesterday, the TMC government in West Bengal demonstrated gross disrespect towards the honourable President of India, Droupadi Murmu. President Murmu ji visited Bengal to attend a significant celebration honouring the Santhal tribal tradition. However, the TMC chose to boycott this sacred and important event, which holds great meaning for both the President and the tribal community, given that the President herself is from a tribal background and has shown deep concern for the Santhal community," PM Modi said.

"The TMC government's actions not only resulted in the mismanagement of the event but also constituted an affront to the President, the Constitution, and the noble tradition of democracy in our country," he added.

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