Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has slammed Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh following his criticism of NITI Aayog in the wake of Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee leaving the central think-tank’s meeting abruptly on Saturday.
The Congress leader, after the Bengal chief minister walked out of the NITI Aayog meeting, said the think-tank was nothing but an “attached office of PMO”.
“Jairam, you weren’t even there! We all heard Hon. CM @MamataOfficial. She spoke her full time. The screen in front of our tables kept showing the time. A few other CMs spoke beyond their allotted time. On their own request, extra time was allowed without any fuss. Mikes were not switched off, not for anybody, particularly, not for CM, WB. Mamata ji has chosen to spread falsehood.”
“I was happy she attended. Was happier when she said she is speaking for Bengal and in fact for the entire opposition. I may agree or disagree with what she had to say. But now with her saying baseless things outside, I can only conclude that she is making an effort to keep I.N.D.I alliance happy,” the minister said in a detailed statement.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties also criticized the BJP-led NDA government after Banerjee walked out of the NITI Aayog meeting.
They alleged that she was not given enough time to speak and share her concern in the meeting.
Banerjee also criticized the union government after she walked out of the meeting.
“I said the 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,” she alleged.
Jairam Ramesh in post on X had said: “Since it was established ten years ago, NITI Aayog has been an attached office of the PMO and has functioned as a drumbeater for the non-biological PM.”
Reacting to the developments on the issue, BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog, said the chief minister of West Bengal requested to be given a turn before lunchtime. I’m just putting facts on the ground, no interpretations. It was a clear request from their side because normally we would have gone alphabetically, starting with Andhra Pradesh, then Arunachal Pradesh. We adjusted, and the Defense Minister called her in just before Gujarat. So, she made her statement.
