Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to comment on the Teesta water-sharing issue on the eve of Friday’s convocation programme at Viswabharati, Shantiniketan to be attended by both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
Banerjee who is the first State Chief Minister post Independence to attend the programme on Thursday skirted questions on Teesta water butcame down heavily on the Centre for “doing nothing about the rising fuel prices” saying her party would start a prolonged movement from Friday “against the rising oil prices.
“This is not the right platform to comment on such issues of international importance because I am just a Chief Minister of a province,” Banerjee said reminding “this is not the right place and right time for politics as will assemble at the convocation programme of Vishwabharati.”
She however said she will have a one-on-one meeting with Sheikh Hasina. “It is a courtesy meeting as I share a cordial relationship with Hasina di. Our relationship goes back to many years. From the time when she was the Opposition leader. We love each other as the people of the two countries do mutually. We wish well to the people of Bangladesh.”
Banerjee who reached Bolpur straight from Bengaluru where she went to attend the swearing-in function of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy was talking to reporters.
The Prime Minister who is also the Chancellor of the University raised by Poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore will attend the convocation on Friday along with his Bangladesh counterpart Sk Hasina. A Bangladesh Bhavan is likely to be inaugurated in the presence of the Prime Minister of that country.
Criticising the “mysterious reasons for which seven big and eminent personalities were not given Desikottama (honour),” Banerjee said. “I am deeply hurt because names of seven eminent people does not figure in the Desikottama list. I don’t know why,” she added.
Upping the ante on the Centre for “doing nothing about the rising fuel prices,” Banerjee said the “oil price should immediately be controlled because the whole transport sector of the country is suffering.
The farmers are also hurt by the rising fuel prices. It is for the Centre to take action immediately,” Banerjee said without going into the details on whether her own Government would cut down on the taxes realized by the State.
Rising fuel prices would soon set the essential commodities’ market on fire, she feared.
She said “my party will descend on the streets and start a movement form tomorrow. In Kolkata they will organise a rally tomorrow and from Saturday they will organise movements against rising fuel prices in the districts.”
Also attacking the Centre for the “alleged economic reforms” she said “instead of bringing acchhe din these reforms like GST and Demonetization have ruined the country’s economy.”
She said “due to GST revenue of States have suffered,” adding DeMo had helped the black money market. “Instead of checking black money, demonetization has helped in generating black money,” she maintained.