The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have locked horns over President Droupadi Murmu’s recent visit to West Bengal, with the political row intensifying through sharp exchanges between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The controversy took a new turn after Banerjee criticised the Prime Minister using a photograph from 2024 that shows President Murmu standing while Modi is seated during an event honouring Lal Krishna Advani with the Bharat Ratna. The BJP was quick to “fact-check” Mamata Banerjee’s claims.
During her dharna over “arbitrary” SIR deletions, Mamata Banerjee questioned the Prime Minister’s claims of respecting the office of the President. “The Prime Minister keeps making grand claims about respecting the President’s office. Let us take a good look at this photo. The country’s first tribal woman President stands while the Prime Minister sits comfortably in his chair,” Banerjee said. “All proclamations of respect for the President ring hollow when visual evidence reveals such casual disregard for her office,” she added.
The photograph was taken on March 31, 2024, when President Murmu and the Prime Minister visited Advani to confer the Bharat Ratna on the veteran BJP leader. Mamata Banerjee said the image demonstrated who truly respected the President. “Honourable Prime Minister, this is for you. Do you respect the President, a woman and a tribal leader? Then why is the President standing and you are sitting? This photograph proves who respects and who does not,” she said.
The Chief Minister also accused the Prime Minister of repeatedly targeting West Bengal ahead of elections. “The Prime Minister comes before every election like a ‘vote bird’ and says whatever he wants,” she said.
The BJP, however, dismissed the allegation and accused the Trinamool Congress of spreading misinformation. In a post on X, the party’s West Bengal unit said the photograph was being misrepresented. “TMC’s fake news factory at it again. As per official protocol during the presentation of the Bharat Ratna award, others present remain seated while the award is being conferred. There was absolutely no breach of decorum,” the BJP said. “It is shameful that Trinamool is once again trying to twist a dignified moment involving the Hon’ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu, PM Shri Narendra Modi and Bharat Ratna Shri LK Advani for petty politics. Respect the dignity of the highest constitutional office instead of spreading misinformation,” the statement added.
The exchange comes in the backdrop of President Murmu’s visit to Darjeeling on Saturday to attend the ninth International Santal Conference. While addressing the gathering, the President publicly questioned why Chief Minister Banerjee or other senior state ministers were not present to receive her. “Generally, when the President is coming, the Chief Minister should be welcoming, and other ministers should be present. But she did not come,” Draupadi Murmu said. “The governor has changed and could not come. But because the date was fixed, I have come,” she added.
The President also described Mamata Banerjee as being like her “younger sister”. “I am also a daughter of Bengal. I do not know whether she is upset,” she said. The President further raised concerns over the change of venue for the programme, suggesting it had made attendance difficult for many people. “I do not know why the state administration did not permit the meeting there. Today’s programme is being held in a place where it is difficult for people to come. Perhaps the state government does not want the welfare of tribals,” she said.
Prime Minister Modi later condemned the developments, calling them “shameful and unprecedented”. “Everyone who believes in democracy and the empowerment of tribal communities is disheartened. The pain and anguish expressed by Rashtrapati Ji, who herself hails from a tribal community, has caused immense sadness in the minds of the people of India,” Modi wrote on X.
He further accused the West Bengal government of disrespecting the office of the President. “The TMC government of West Bengal has truly crossed all limits. Their administration is responsible for this insult to the President,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. “The office of the President is above politics, and the sanctity of this office should always be respected. One hopes better sense prevails among the West Bengal government and TMC,” he added.
Mamata Banerjee, however, rejected the allegations and said the state government had followed the protocol laid down by the President’s Secretariat. According to the Chief Minister, the International Santal Council, a private organisation, had invited the President to the conference. “International Santal Council, a private organisation, invited the Hon’ble President to the ninth International Adivasi Santal Conference in Siliguri,” Banerjee said. She added that the district administration had flagged concerns about the organisers’ preparedness before the event.
The Union government has sought an explanation from the state administration over alleged lapses during the President’s visit. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan has asked West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty to submit a report on the incident.
