Mamata defers Kolkata’s Iftar party to attend Modi’s oath-taking ceremony
New Delhi, : Victors take away everything and the vanquished have to bow down.
This seems to be the theory guiding West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to attend ‘second time’ crowning ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of world’s largest democracy.
In 2014, Ms Banerjee did not attend Mr Modi’s swearing-in ceremony triggering a minor row and hints of bitterness in relations.
However, on Tuesday, Ms Banerjee waxed eloquently – more as a leader who has accepted the people’s overwhelming mandate in favour of Prime Minister Modi and said – “I have spoken to other Chief Ministers also. Since it is a ceremonial program, we thought of attending it. Yes, I will go.”
There was hardly any explanation from All India Trinamool Congress leaders on how the situation has changed in 2019 as in 2014 also it was a ceremonial function.
In fact, what is seen as an important feature in the turn of events is that the Chief Minister has canceled her Iftar party of May 30 and instead opted to defer it to June 3.
“It is a major decision no doubt. Mamata Banerjee has been touchy about her relations with Muslims but during elections she faced the brunt of people’s anguish due to her appeasement politics. For May 30 Iftar party in Kolkata, even the timing 1821 hours was announced in the invitation. Now, that has been deferred,” a BJP leader said here.
For June 3 invitation, guests have been invited by the authorities to reach the venue and take their seats at least 15 minutes before time, sources said.
The BJP leaders, however, welcomed Ms Banerjee’s decision to attend the swearing-in ceremony to be held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 30.
The sources said, so much was the bitterness in 2014 that Ms Banerjee used to decline meeting Prime Minister.
In fact, at a media conference in Banga Bhavan, when asked whether she will meet Prime Minister, the West Bengal Chief Minister has said: “Is your question relevant?”.
It was only on March 9, 2015 – about ten months after Mr Modi took over the reins that Ms Banerjee had met Prime Minister in Delhi.
“Today I met the Prime Minister with a 40-member delegation of our MPs. We discussed about the state of finances in West Bengal,” Ms Banerjee had tweeted.
Prior to that, both had interacted once in Rashtrapati Bhavan at a banquet.
Mamata Banerjee-Modi meet had come at a time when BJP’s floor managers in both Houses of Parliament have tried to reach out to smaller parties for bringing changes to the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, but it had to be abandoned by the Centre later.
Two Trinamool MLAs and a large number of municipal councillors from Halishahr, Nauhati and Kancharapada on Monday deserted Trinamool and joined BJP.
UNI.