New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday rejected West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claim that her microphone was switched off while she was speaking at the NITI Aayog meeting and said that every chief minister was "allotted due time to speak".
While speaking to reporters, the West Bengal Chief Minister alleged "political discrimination" and said that at the NITI Aayog meeting which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she was not allowed to speak for more than five minutes while other chief ministers were given more time.
"CM Mamata Banerjee attended the Niti Aayog meeting. We all heard her. Every CM was given the allotted time, and that was displayed on the screen, which was present before every table. We could see that two tables have a screen before us. She said in the media that her mic was turned off. That is completely false. Every CM was given their due time to speak," the Finance Minsiter told ANI.
Sitharaman said that it is "unfortunate" that the West Bengal CM is making such claims, adding that the government is happy that West Bengal Chief Minister attended the meeting and she said that she is speaking on behalf of the opposition, i.e. INDIA bloc.
"It's unfortunate that the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has claimed that her mic was switched off, which is not true, and it is unfortunate because we're happy that she participated in this meeting. She put forth her case, spoke for West Bengal and, as she said, spoke for all the opposition. But even as she was doing it and we were hearing, as per the procedure."
Sitharaman further said that the Bengal CM should have requested for more than the allotted time but she chose to use it an excuse to walk out of the meeting.
"If she's reminded that her time is over, even with the mic on, she could have requested that she will continue speaking like some other Chief Ministers did. But she chose to use it as an excuse so that she can get out of the meeting," Sitharaman said.
"She should speak the truth behind this rather than again build a narrative based on falsehood," the Finance Minister added.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that he feels Mamata Banerjee is lying, as it's surprising if a state's CM wouldn't be allowed to speak.
"The things that Mamata Banerjee is saying regarding the NITI Aayog meeting, I feel like she is lying. It is very surprising if a state's CM wouldn't be allowed to speak. Mamata Banerjee knew what would be happening there. she had the script," he said.
Earlier, the central government's fact-checking body refuted as "misleading" the claim made by the West Bengal CM about her microphone being switched off.
A PIB fact check today debunked her allegations stating that "only the clock showed that her speaking time was over."
"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," the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a post on X.
According to the government fact check body PIB, Mamata Banerjee's turn to speak would be only after lunch if one goes alphabetically, but she was "accomodated" as the seventh speaker on an official request from the Chief Minister.
"Alphabetically, CM, West Bengal turn would have come after lunch. She was accommodated as the 7th speaker on an official request of the West Bengal government as she had to return early," PIB Fact Check explained in a subsequent tweet.
While speaking to reporters, the West Bengal Chief Minister alleged "political discrimination" and said that at the NITI Aayog meeting 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 five 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.
"I have come out boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting. Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak, Chief Ministers of Assam, Goa, Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped after just 5 minutes. This is unfair," the Chief Minister said speaking to reporters after coming out of the meeting.
Claiming that she had chosen to participate in the meeting to strengthen "cooperative federalism" Banerjee said, "There are many regional aspirations. That is why I am here, to share those aspirations. If a state is strong, the Union will be strong."
The Chief Minister said that several states, including West Bengal, were deprived in the Union Budget that was presented in Parliament this week.
—ANI