Mamata Banerjee on Sunday dismissed Narendra Modi’s allegation that President Droupadi Murmu was insulted during her Bengal visit the day before, waving a two-year-old photograph to try and turn the tables on the Prime Minister.

The photograph, released by central government publicity arm PIB, is from a ceremony at former deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani’s home on March 31, 2024, where President Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna on the nonagenarian.

“Prime Minister Modi, this is for you. Let me show you an image.... The President is standing, the Prime Minister is sitting, we had never seen that before,” Mamata thundered from her Esplanade dharna dais.

“She (Murmu) is standing, you are sitting.… Why are you sitting while the President is standing?”

Back then, the Congress had spearheaded the Opposition’s attack on Modi, accusing him of a protocol breach and “monumentally ignominious discourtesy” to the President’s chair and the Constitution.

Modi has since Saturday repeatedly accused the Bengal government of insulting the President — while emphasising her gender and tribal identity — after Murmu asked why Bengal ministers, including Mamata, had not met her during her north Bengal trip.

Mamata on Sunday characterised Modi’s concerns about protocol and respect for constitutional posts as a “pre-poll seasonal” interest.

“Do you pay respect to President Murmu, who is a woman and a tribal leader?” she asked. “This (PIB) image is proof of who pays respect and who doesn’t. We honour every respectable chair.”

Trinamool and its supporters have circulated the photograph widely on social media.

Mamata rejected the allegations of protocol breach saying the President had come for an event organised by a private body.

The picture displayed by Mamata Banerjee at her Calcutta dharna shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting as President Droupadi Murmu stands while conferring the Bharat Ratna on LK Advani on March 31, 2024

“The programme was not organised by us but a private organisation. From the state government, a letter was sent which clearly stated that the organisation doesn’t have the capability to organise a programme which involves the Hon’ble President of India. They didn’t involve us,” she said.

“Despite highlighting that... the Hon’ble President accepted the invitation by exercising her choice. So, it is their prerogative, not ours.”

Mamata also countered BJP leaders’ attacks on her government on the grounds that a washroom set up for the President at the venue, Gossainpur near Bagdogra airport, did not have running water.

“The state government was not involved in any capacity. I cross-checked more than once the washroom-related issue.... The matter is under the jurisdiction of the Airports Authority of India,” she said.

Mamata said: “The greenroom was set up by the organisers. Home minister Amit Shah also held a meeting there a few days ago. The area doesn’t belong to us. It belongs to the Airports Authority of India. If anything has gone wrong, it is their failure. So, don’t blame us.”

Mamata also dismissed the allegation about people being prevented from coming to Murmu’s International Santhal Council event.

“The issue of why people did not turn up for the programme should be addressed by the organisation that organised it. The organiser never told us to send our people,” the chief minister said.

She castigated the BJP’s efforts to highlight the controversy to court Bengal’s tribal communities, crucial to elections in several western and northern pockets where the saffron party had done well in 2021 and 2024.

“Before every election, the Prime Minister attacks Bengal. He disrespects us.… The PM talks about the people of Bauri, Bagdi, Lodha, Sabar, Munda, Santhal, Matua and Rajbanshi communities only before polls,” she said.

She was unapologetic about her own absence from Murmu’s event, citing her preoccupation with her dharna against what she claims is a large-scale disenfranchisement of genuine voters during the ongoing Bengal SIR.

“Our (Siliguri) mayor was present there (at the Gossainpur event). I was at this dharna (in Calcutta); how could I have left it? Before the dharna started, I was not aware of the (President’s) programme,” the chief minister said.

“I am fighting the battle of the people here. I am fighting for their voting rights. Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians — we are fighting for all. This is India. We love everybody.”

Mamata also slammed Modi for suggesting her government had lost the right to celebrate International Women’s Day by allegedly insulting a woman President.

“We will celebrate it a thousand times! We respect both our brothers and sisters. You don’t have the right to criticise us,” she said.