President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday wondered aloud if Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was upset with her.
“I am also a daughter of Bengal, but I don’t know why I am not allowed to come here,” President Murmu, who is on a two-day visit to the state, said at Gosainpur in north Bengal’s Phansidewa, around 576 km north of Kolkata.
“Mamata didi is like my sister, younger sister. Maybe she is angry with me,” the President said.
The President was attending the International Santhal conclave, the venue of which was changed.
The organisers preferred Bidhannagar near Siliguri, which has a sizeable Santhal population, to host the President but the local administration reportedly denied permission and the event was held at Gosainpur.
“How should an international Santhal conference look like?” President Murmu asked. “I was watching many Santhals are outside. I feel somebody is stopping them from entering. While on the way I couldn’t help wondering, is this an international conference? Somebody does not want the Santhal to stand united.”
From Gosainpur, the President did go to Bidhannagar where she addressed the local people without any dias. The President said the venue at Bidhannagar was better suited for the event as it was spacious.
“I don’t what happened with the administration. We came here quite easily. They had told us this place is congested. I feel five lakh people could have assembled here. I don’t know why they took us there. Not many of our brothers and sisters from here could attend,” President Murmu said.
The President said she came to Bidhannagar to see how the Santhal people are living in the area.
The late Pranab Mukherjee had visited Darjeeling in 2016 as President. The state government had hosted a state reception in his honour at Chowrasta.
He had also attended an event commemorating the birth anniversary of Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya and addressed the annual general meeting held by the Darjeeling Tea Association.
Later on Saturday, the Trinamool Congress issued a statement that included a compilation of the development projects being carried out by the Bengal government for the tribal communities.
“It is extremely unfortunate that the President appears to be under the misinformed impression that there has been no development for Adivasi communities in Bengal,” the Trinamool said in a post on X. “These are measurable, on-ground interventions aimed at ensuring dignity, opportunity and development for Adivasi communities across Bengal.”
Siliguri Mayor Gautam Deb said the President’s comments were hurtful.