West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claims that her mic was muted at the PM-led NITI Aayog meeting have been refuted by official sources.
Government sources have debunked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claims that she was not allowed to speak during PM-led NITI Aayog meeting.
Mamata Banerjee alleged 'political discrimination' at the 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.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB), centre's fact-checking unit also countered Mamata's claim, saying, "It is being claimed that the microphone of CM, West Bengal was switched off during the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog. This claim is #Misleading. The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it."
“Claim that microphone of West Bengal CM was switched off during the meeting correct. The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it. Alphabetically, her turn would have come after lunch. She was accommodated as the 7th speaker on an official request of West Bengal government as she had to return early,” it said in a post on X.
“Maybe she wanted the allotted time of all opposition CMs, claiming she as the only opposition face present at the meeting. The same is not possible. NITI Aayog meeting has a format. The meeting has a specific agenda,” the government sources said.
Government sources have also told PTI that it is incorrect to say that Banerjee’s microphone was switched off and asserted that the clock showed that her speaking time was over.
