Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would not meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his two-day visit to Bengal beginning March 31, sources at State headquarters, Nabanna said. Not only this, in what was likely to set a new record for lack of decorum, no top Bengal officials, including the Chief Secretary or the Home Secretary, are likely to accompany Singh during his visit of Chit Mahals in North Bengal. Officials were even tight-lipped on whether they would receive Rajnath.
Sources quoting Banerjee said that as she had got information of Singh’s coming to Bengal late and as she already had pre-fixed programmes in North Bengal, it would not be possible for her to meet Singh. Incidentally, on a previous occasion, Banerjee had cut back on her programmes to meet then Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde at a resort in the Sunderbans.
While the Government officially cited pre-scheduled engagements of the Chief Minister Trinamool, sources said the reason behind her reluctance to see the Home Minister was to avoid discussing two vital issues of cross-border infiltration and rising criminal activities and increasing attacks on the Opposition outfits particularly the BJP ahead of ensuing elections in 92 civic bodies. Such has been the undercurrent of fear that Trinamool has already won three civic boards unopposed while in many seats in other municipalities the Opposition has not been able to file nominations.