Refuting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allegation that she did not answer his call to discuss the damage done by cyclone Fani in West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that she could not receive his call made to her Kolkata office as at that time she was at Kharagpur in West Medinipur district.
The Chief Minister also said that she was in Kharagpur to monitor the situation after the cyclone entered Bengal.
“The Prime Minister’s calls were made to my Kolkata office while I was in Kharagpur to monitor the situation after the cyclone entered the state that’s why I could not receive his call,” said Banerjee. She was addressing a rally at Gopiballavpur in Jhargram district.
Banerjee also said that the Prime Minister had called her for a meeting at Kalaikunda in West Medinipur district and said that she was not bound to meet him wherever he wants.
“Are we his servants that we will go rushing to wherever he wants? Now he will accuse me of not responding and refusing to cooperate,” said Banerjee.
Pointing out that the elections are going on in West Bengal while it was over in Odisha the Chief Minister said that her rally in Jhargram was fixed in advance.
“My rally in Jhargram was fixed well in advance. Elections are over in Odisha but it is continuing in Bengal. Why should I be on the same dais with an expiry Prime Minister during elections,” said Banerjee.
Her comments come days after the Prime Minister called West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to inquire about the situation in the state in the aftermath of cyclone Fani. The development prompted TMC to allege that Modi was violating the federal structure by bypassing the Chief Minister.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister said that recently he called Banerjee twice to discuss the damage done by the cyclone in Bengal but she did not answer his call.