Will attend NITI Aayog meeting, says CM Mamata Banerjee

Bringing an end to speculation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that she will be attending the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi which will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"On one hand there is financial deprivation and on the other hand, there is a conspiracy to divide West Bengal. I will be attending the Niti Aayog Meeting to raise my voice of dissent on both these issues," the Chief Minister said while interacting with the mediapersons at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here before leaving for Delhi.

Trinamool Congress general secretary and the party Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee is accompanying her to the national capital.

She said that she is attending the meeting to raise her voice of protest on the issues of financial deprivation not just against West Bengal but also against the other non-BJP ruled states.

"All the opposition-ruled states have been deprived in the Union Budget proposals. I cannot accept such favouritism. So I will be raising my voice on behalf of all at the meeting," he said.

Thereafter, she targeted the BJP on the issue of the party Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey's demand on the floor of the House on Thursday for a new Union territory combining Malda, Murshidabad, Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar district and the Santhal Parganas region.

"All sorts of financial and geographical conspiracies are going on to divide the state. Messages are being spread to divide Bengal. The division of Bengal means a division of the country. We cannot accept this. In such a situation I will be there at the meeting for some time. If I am allowed to get my voice recorded I will do that. Otherwise, I will walk out in protest," the Chief Minister said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, during their visit to the national capital, are also scheduled to hold meetings with the party's Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members. The Chief Minister is also scheduled to interact with media persons in Delhi later in the day.

(With inputs from IANS)