Mamata Banerjee says no to Niti Aayog meeting, says it's 'fruitless'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday refused to attend a meeting of Niti Aayog to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 15 saying it is fruitless as the body has no financial powers to support state plansHer decision to skip the meeting of the top plan panel comes days after she stayed away from the swearingin ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 30 citing as untrue claims by the BJP that 54 of the party workers were murdered in political violence in BengalShe conveyed her decision not to attend the Niti Aayog meeting in a letter written to the prime ministerGiven the fact that the Niti Aayog has no financial powers and the power to support state plans it is fruitless for me to attend the meeting of a body that is bereft of any financial powers Banerjee wroteShe also suggested that focus should be shifted to the InterState Council ISC to deepen cooperative federalism and strengthen federal polityThe experience of last fourandhalf years we had with Niti Aayog brings me back to my earlier suggestion to you that we focus on InterState Council constituted under Article 263 of Constitution with appropriate modifications to enable ISC to discharge its augmented range of functions as the nodal entity of the country she saidThis will deepen cooperative federalism and strengthen federal polity May I also reiterate that the National Development Council which has been given a quiet burial may also be subsumed within the broadened constitutional body of the InterState Council the chief minister saidModi is set to chair the fifth meeting of the Niti Aayogs Governing Council on June 15 to discuss various issues regarding the countrys developmentBanerjee however didnt clarify whether any other minister of her cabinet would attend the meeting on her behalf or notEarlier too Banerjee had skipped meetings of the policy thinktank expressing displeasure over the dissolution of the Planning Commission and creation of a new structureShe had sent West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra to represent the state at the meeting last yearIn her letter Banerjee said the formation of Niti Aayog was unilaterally announced without any discussion with chief ministersShe cited examples of statements made by Niti Aayog officials and a former Union minister stressing the need to give the thinktank the power to allocate funds as part of the efforts to address regional imbalancesThe TMC supremos decision to give Niti Aayog meeting a miss comes amid a heightened political tussle between the TMC and the BJP in West BengalBuoyed by the BJPs victory in 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal in the recentlyconcluded elections only four less than TMCs 22 the saffron partys leaders have been asserting that they would overthrow the Trinamool Congress government in the 2021 assembly pollsHer decision of not attending the NITI Ayog meeting drew sharp reactions from the BJP which accused Banerjee of not being serious about the development of the stateHer decision only reflects that she is yet to accept her defeat and want to politicise everything While doing so she is affecting the development of the state She should be ashamed of it Only she has problem with NITI Aayog other chief ministers dont have any problem state BJP president Dilip Ghosh saidThe entire country is moving forward under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi Even chief ministers of states ruled by Congress are also attending the NITI Aayog meeting Only Mamata Banerjee is opposing it This is against the interest of the nation She is trying to scuttle the growth of the nation and is behaving like an antinational West Bengal BJP vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar told PTIThe Trinamool Congress was quick to hit back at the BJP saying neither Banerjee nor the TMC needs lessons on nationalismWhat is the use of attending a meeting which doesnt bear any result The BJP cant force us to attend the meet it is the prerogative of the chief minister to decide And neither TMC nor Mamata Banerjee needs lessons on nationalism or development from a communal party like BJP state Food Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick saidLashing out at Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee over her decision to skip the Niti Aayogmeeting on June 15 the state BJP unit on Friday said the TMCsupremo was behaving like an antinational and trying toscuttle the growth of BengalThe Trinamool Congress TMC was quick to hit backsaying it does not need lessons on nationalism or developmentfrom a communal party like the BJPTalking to PTI West Bengal BJP vicepresident JayPrakash Majumdar said Banerjees move was against the interestof the nationTop news stories of the dayMumbai doctors suicide Dr Payal Tadvi had no friends in her own department say batchmatesGadchiroli blasts Elderly parents worry about the future as slain sons wives get compensationMulund society secretary booked for animal crueltyMumbai Esplanade Mansions electricity meters removed ahead of its demolitionMumbai BMC shuts two crucial 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