‘Was allowed to speak only for...’: Mamata Banerjee walks out of PM Modi-led NITI Aayog meet

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged 'political discrimination' at the at NITI Aayog meeting held in the national capital in Delhi stating that her microphone was muted and she was not allowed to speak for more than five minutes while other chief ministers were given more time.

"...I said you (central government) should not discriminate against state governments. I wanted to speak but my mic was muted. I was allowed to speak only for 5 minutes. People before me spoke for 10-20 minutes," Banerjee told reporters after she stormed out of the NITI Aayog meeting today.

"I was the only one from the opposition who was participating but still, I was not allowed to speak. This is insulting...," Banerjee said as she walked out mid-way from the meeting. 

Before leaving for Delhi today, the All India Trinamool Congress Chairman said, "I will protest against the political discrimination being done with Bengal in the NITI Aayog meeting. In the budget, the way they have discriminated against Bengal and the other opposition states, we can't agree to that."

The Trinamool supremo further stated that the BJP ministers and leaders' attitude is such that they want to divide Bengal while also imposing economic and geographical blockades on the state.

"The attitude of their ministers and BJP leaders is such that they want to divide Bengal. Along with the economic blockade, they also want to impose a geographical blockade. The Minister said this while Parliament was in process. Different leaders are giving different statements to divide Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, and Bengal. We strongly condemn this attitude," she said.

She further said that dividing Bengal means dividing the nation and further mentioned that she will record her voice at the meeting and if they won't let her, she will protest and leave the meeting.

"Divide Bengal means to divide our country, India. We want to record our voice in this situation, and I will be present there to do so. I will try to record my voice if they let me or else I will protest and come out," she said.

Chief Ministers of opposition-led states who boycotted the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

On Wednesday, Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant Mann and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said that their government will boycott the NITI Aayog in protest against the central government's alleged injustice to the state in the allocation of funds in the 2024 Union Budget. 

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)