Mamata Banerjee not to Attend Surajkund State Home Ministers’ Meeting

GG News Bureau

Kolkata, 27th Oct. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also holds the home portfolio, will not attend the Centre’s two-day meeting of state home ministers at Surajkund in Haryana, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The state government will not send the home secretary B P Gopalika or director general of police Manoj Malviya but will instead assign additional director general (home guard) Niraj Kumar Singh to attend the two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ from Thursday, he said.

West Bengal resident commissioner in New Delhi, Ram Das Meena will also attend the meeting, the official said.

“This is festival time and there are several functions lined up. ‘Bhaiphota’ will take place on Thursday and ‘Chhat Puja’ will take place soon. It will not be possible for the chief minister to leave the state. Our home secretary and DGP will not be participating in the Chintan Shivir for the same reason as that of the chief minister.,” the official told the media agency.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah invited Banerjee to attend the meeting last month, according to government sources.

During the meeting, Shah is scheduled to meet with all state home ministers, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to speak on the final day, October 28.

According to a senior official, the union home minister will meet with Banerjee during the Eastern Zonal Council meeting on November 5 at the West Bengal secretariat here.