West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has intensified her attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid a growing dispute over President Droupadi Murmu’s recent visit to the state.

Speaking at a public rally, Banerjee referred to a photograph from March 2024 that shows the President standing while the Prime Minister is seated during a meeting with veteran leader Lal Krishna Advani. The Trinamool Congress leader questioned the government’s claims about respecting the office of the President.

According to a video shared by the Trinamool Congress, two party leaders displayed the photograph while Banerjee addressed the gathering. She argued that while leaders often speak about honouring the President’s office, such visual moments raise questions about whether that respect is truly reflected in conduct.

The photograph referenced by Banerjee was taken on March 31, 2024, when President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi visited Advani to present him with the Bharat Ratna.

Banerjee said the image showed the President standing while the Prime Minister remained seated. She asked whether the government truly respected the country’s first tribal woman President, adding that the picture demonstrated “who respects and who does not”.

President’s visit to Bengal triggers controversy

The political exchange began after President Murmu visited West Bengal on Saturday to attend the ninth International Santal Conference in Darjeeling.

While addressing the event, the President publicly noted that neither the chief minister nor other state ministers were present to receive her. She said that usually the chief minister welcomes the President during such visits but that did not happen in this case.

Murmu added that Banerjee is like a “younger sister” to her and said she did not know whether the chief minister was upset.

The President also raised concerns about the change in the event venue and suggested that the new location made it difficult for people to attend. She said she did not know why the state administration had not permitted the programme at the earlier venue.

Prime minister criticises Bengal government

Reacting to the developments, Prime Minister Modi described the situation as “shameful and unprecedented”. In a post on social media, he said the incident had saddened people who believe in democracy and in empowering tribal communities.

He added that the pain expressed by President Murmu had caused widespread concern and accused the West Bengal government of disrespecting the office of the President. The Prime Minister also said the dignity of the President’s position should remain above political disputes.

Speaking at a public event later, Modi said the developments were particularly unfortunate as they occurred on International Women’s Day. He alleged that the Trinamool Congress government had boycotted both the tribal event and the President.

Mamata Banerjee denies protocol violation

Banerjee rejected the allegations, saying no protocol lapse occurred during the visit.

According to the chief minister, the event had been organised by a private body, the International Santal Council, which invited the President to attend the conference in Siliguri. She said the district administration had warned the President’s Secretariat that the organisers lacked adequate arrangements to host such a programme.

Banerjee also stated that the advance team from the President’s Secretariat visited the site earlier in March and was informed about the shortcomings but the event continued as scheduled.

She added that officials including the mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, the Darjeeling district magistrate and the Siliguri police commissioner received and saw off the President according to the approved protocol lineup.

The chief minister said she was not part of the official lineup or the event’s dais plan and accused the BJP of using the country’s highest constitutional office for political purposes.

Centre seeks report from state

The issue escalated further after Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan wrote to West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty seeking a report on alleged lapses during the President’s visit.

According to sources, the letter asked why senior state officials such as the chief minister, the chief secretary and the director general of police were not present to receive the President. It also raised concerns about reports of poor arrangements at the venue, including the absence of water in a washroom designated for the President and garbage along the route.

Officials from the Darjeeling district administration and Siliguri police were also mentioned in the communication, with the Centre seeking details of any action taken.

The controversy has now turned into a sharp political confrontation between the Centre and the West Bengal government.

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday raised questions about the development of tribal communities in West Bengal and also expressed surprise over the absence of state government representatives during her visit to north Bengal.

Speaking at the International Santhal Conference, an event organised for the tribal community, the President wondered whether Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was upset with her, as neither the chief minister nor any minister from the state cabinet was present to receive her.

Murmu also referred to the decision to shift the venue of the conference from Bidhannagar to Goshaipur. She questioned why the programme was not allowed at the earlier venue despite adequate space being available.

Addressing the gathering, the President said she did not know whether Banerjee was upset with her and remarked that she also considers herself a daughter of Bengal. She added that Banerjee was like a younger sister to her but the reason behind shifting the programme location remained unclear.

During her speech, Murmu also raised broader concerns about the condition of tribal communities in the region. She questioned whether development and facilities intended for Santhals and other tribal groups were actually reaching them.

According to the President, the Centre has worked over the past decade to strengthen tribal identity and accelerate development for tribal communities. However, she said it did not appear that the benefits were reaching people in the region.

Murmu also suggested that some individuals might have been prevented from attending the event and said it appeared that certain groups did not want the Santhal community to unite, progress, or gain access to education and strength.

The remarks triggered a political response, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticising the situation. Sharing a video of the President’s speech, he said the incident was shameful and expressed concern over what he described as an insult to the President and to Santhal culture.

The BJP also criticised the West Bengal government, alleging that the lack of preparation and protocol during the President’s visit reflected administrative failure and disrespect for constitutional offices.

Responding to the President’s remarks, Mamata Banerjee said the statements were political in nature. Speaking during a protest in Kolkata against the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, the chief minister urged the President to avoid making remarks that could affect the dignity of the office.

Banerjee said the President had spoken about only one community and not about others in the state. She also asked her party’s MPs to seek an appointment with Rashtrapati Bhavan to present details of the state government’s work for Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste communities.

The Trinamool Congress also rejected the suggestion that there had been no development for tribal communities in the state. In a statement, the party said the President appeared to have been misinformed.

The party highlighted several welfare initiatives, including financial assistance under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. It said women from Scheduled Tribe communities now receive Rs 1,700 per month, amounting to Rs 20,400 annually.

The Trinamool Congress also referred to scholarships for tribal students, the establishment of schools and other development programmes aimed at improving conditions in tribal areas.

According to the party, these measures represent concrete initiatives designed to improve opportunities, dignity and development for Adivasi communities across West Bengal.

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

The decision comes more than seven years after the sect leader was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the case.

According to Singh’s lawyer Jitender Khurana, the high court set aside the earlier conviction and acquitted the Dera chief in the killing of the journalist.

Ram Rahim and three others had been convicted in 2019 for the murder of Chhatrapati, who was shot outside his residence in Haryana’s Sirsa in October 2002.

The journalist had published an anonymous letter in his newspaper Poora Sach, which alleged sexual exploitation of women followers at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. The attack on Chhatrapati occurred after the publication of the letter.

Despite the acquittal in the murder case, Ram Rahim continues to serve a 20-year prison sentence handed down in 2017 for the rape of two of his disciples.

Following that conviction, he was lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana.