“Mic muted,” claims Mamata Banerjee during the NITI Aayog meet

The Centre, however, refuted the West Bengal Chief Minister’s claim that her microphone was switched off during the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI.

Recently, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, claimed that her mic was muted during the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI. However, the Centre’s fact-checking team released a statement calling these claims “misleading.” The West Bengal Chief Minister claimed that while she was speaking during the NITI Aayog meeting, her mic was stopped.

Mamata Banerjee claims her mic was muted during the NITI meeting.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee created a furore after attending the NITI Aayog’s Governing Council meeting in Delhi recently. She claimed to have boycotted the meeting due to the Centre’s step-motherly treatment towards West Bengal. Speaking to reporters after leaving the meeting midway, she claimed she was stopped after just five minutes of speaking at the meeting.

What did Mamata Banerjee claim to reporters?

The CM of West Bengal said, “I was speaking, my mic was stopped. I said why did you stop me, why are you discriminating. I am attending the meeting you should be happy instead of that you are giving more scope to your party your government. Only I am there from the opposition, and you are stopping me from speaking…This is not only the insult of Bengal but also all regional parties…” She added, “I have come out boycotting the meeting. Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak, and CMs of Assam, Goa, and Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes. This is unfair. From the opposition side, only I am representing here and attending this meeting because of the greater interest that cooperative federalism should be strengthened. Even the Budget also… this is a politically biased Budget. I said, ‘Why are you discriminating against other states?’ NITI Aayog has no financial powers, how will it work? Give it financial powers or bring back the Planning Commission.”

Centre refutes Mamata Banerjee’s claims.

Through their fact-checking team, they posted a statement that read, “It is being claimed that the microphone of CM, West Bengal, was switched off during the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog #PIBFactCheck. This claim is #Misleading. The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it.”