Toning down her anti-Narendra Modi rhetoric, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sought an appointment from the Prime Minister during his two-day Bengal tour beginning May 9. Clarifying her stance amid Opposition conjecture that Banerjee was trying to strike a deal with Modi, the Chief Minister told newspersons at Uttarkanya — the State secretariat in North Bengal — that “there is no politics” in her demand for an audience with the Prime Minister as “there are a number of outstanding issues that have to be discussed and sorted out. This meeting is more a product of social obligations than anything else”.
The expected meetings between the two sides could take place in two legs: first at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata on Saturday evening and the second at Burnpur where both would be present during the inaugural programme of an extended ISRO steel project the next day. “I want to raise a whole lot of issues like outstanding dues and the diminishing Central allocations on various projects,” Banerjee said, adding she would also talk on rehabilitation schemes for the displaced people in the Chit Mahal deal with Bangladesh.
“I will meet the PM and submit a memorandum of demands along with the Finance Minister, Chief Secretary and Home Secretary,” Banerjee said, scoffing “wild conjectures” that she could demand a quid pro quo for her support for the coal, insurance, Chit Mahal and GST Bills. On the Trinamool’s somersault on the Chit Mahal issue she said, “We are supporting it with the rehab package. I spoke to the people and they were in favour of it. We want a rehab plan because more than 70,000 people will come from the enclaves across the border. The Centre has to address the issue.”
Banerjee had been highly critical of Modi and had even used invectives against him during her electoral campaigns last year. But, the Opposition left and the Congress have smelt a rat in the sudden smoothening of chemistry between the two sides. “This is a talk of convenience,” said Md Salim of CPI(M). “The people of Bengal are very aware politically and are watching everything. The two sides have not spoken against each other in Parliament in the recent weeks on the other hand there is a visible slowdown in the pace of CBI probe in Saradha case.”
The Marxists said Banerjee would try to play on the Prime Minister’s fear of a left revival in the State. She would not only demand slow-pedaling of the chit fund probe but also a less role for the Central forces in the Assembly elections scheduled sometime next year, he added. However, BJP general secretary Samik Bhattacharya stoutly defended the proposed meeting between the two sides saying “in a federal structure such meetings are not unusual and take place for public good. Insofar as chit fund probe is concerned it is being done under Supreme Court order and if there is any suspicion then those who have doubts can easily go to the apex court.”
Congress leader and main petitioner in the chit fund probe Abdul Mannan said, “The BJP will do a hara kiri in Bengal if they try to cozy up to Mamata because the vote bank they had earned would immediately shift. In fact, it has already started shifting as the civic polls might suggest.”