BJP slams Mamata Banerjee for skipping PM Modi's cyclone Yaas review meeting

Banerjee, who was touring various parts of the state to assess the impact of Yaas in her own capacity, was on Friday invited for a brief meeting with the Prime Minister between 2:15 pm and 2:30 pm, followed by a review meeting from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm at Kalaikunda airbase.

However, Banerjee's presence went doubtful on May 27 night after the state's opposition leader from the BJP, Suvendu Adhikari, who incidentally defeated the Chief Minister in the recently concluded assembly polls, was also invited to the meeting apart from central ministers as well as Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

As per local newspaper Anandabazar Patrika, Banerjee was on Friday asked by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to arrive at the Kalaikunda airbase a little later than the scheduled time.

Banerjee, who waited for the Prime Minister for 20 mins, reportedly went into the review meeting room, briefed the Prime Minister about the impact of Yaas and left for her scheduled visits to the cyclone-affected zones.

Following the entire episode, the BJP leaders including top ministers of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre lashed out at the West Bengal Chief Minister.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted, "Mamata Didi’s conduct today is an unfortunate low. Cyclone Yaas has affected several common citizens and the need of the hour is to assist those affected. Sadly, Didi has put arrogance above public welfare and today’s petty behaviour reflects that."

BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda tweeted, "When Hon PM Shri @narendramodi stands strong with the citizens of West Bengal in wake of cyclone Yaas, Mamata ji should also set aside her ego for the welfare of people. Her absence from the PM’s meeting is murder of constitutional ethos & the culture of cooperative federalism."

He tweeted, "PM @narendramodi ji holds the principle of Cooperative federalism very sacred & has been actively working with all CMs irrespective of party to give relief to the people. Unsurprisingly @MamataOfficial 's tactics & petty politics has once again came to haunt the people of Bengal."

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted, "A state ravaged by a cyclone has the @PMOIndia visiting to help provide relief. CM and PM are constitutional positions that serve the people of India. @MamataOfficial’s conduct today has undermined the dignity of both the offices. A disservice to the people of Bengal."

While anti-Mamata Banerjee posts trended with #AbsentPM, #Didi on Twitter, several supporters of the Chief Minister shared a few news articles claiming Modi in 2013 as the Gujarat Chief Minister too had skipped then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting.

Sajahan Sekh, a Twitter user, said, "Turns out, #AbsentCM trend is older than we thought!"

One Sidharth Sidhu said, " The Sangis say that Didi is behaving Harshly But Modi Is More Than Behaving Harsly Previous Times So Karma Is Boomerang."