Source: Internet
Kolkata 11 January : Even as the city remained under tight security on Saturday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting her amidst the anti-CAA protests, and the much anticipated Modi-Mamata meeting happening only for the sake of protocol, Miss Mamata Banerjee on Saturday once again invited all the regional parties to come under one umbrella for the anti-CAA protest. Modi made his visit to the Raj Bhavan where he met Banerjee and thereafter at Millennium Park where he unveiled the Dynamic Architectural system of Rabindra Setu (Howrah Bridge) as a part of 150th celebrations of Kolkata Port Trust.
By sticking to her agenda of inviting all non BJP, non Congress regional parties to fight CAA, she explained her stand for not joining the anti -CAA conclave convened by Sonia Gandhi with all Opposition parties on 13 January at Delhi.
Banerjee said: “We are not with those who are fishing in troubled waters. I know that there are some political parties( without naming CPI(M)) who are acting as pimp of BJP and I am not with them.”
She said: “We have started the anti-CAA protest and I urge all regional parties to come and join the protest to strengthen the movement.”
It may be mentioned that during the Lok Sabha polls Mamata Banerjee urged all regional parties to form a third front to fight the BJP at Center , but it did not see the light of the day due to lack of unity and the inability to form a common minimum programme to fight the BJP at the Center.
Miss Banerjee’s statement came on the day when she met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and convened a meeting with him one to one at Raj Bhavan.
Banerjee said after meeting with Modi at Raj Bhavan ” I do not know whether it was right on my part to say this sicne he(Narendra Modi) is our guest, but I urged him to withdraw CAA , NRC and NPR . We as a state do not support CAA , NRC and NPR.”
The meeting with PM occurred at a time when students of SFI were protestinf by holding placards ‘Go Back Modi’ and ‘We do not support CAA’.
“It is my constitutional responsibility to the Prime Minister. It is a courtesy meeting. I raised the issues of state’s dues worth Rs 38 cr. He assured me that he would take up the issue.” Banerjee added.
After convening the meeting with Modi , Banerjee went to the anti CAA protest convened by the students of Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad(TMCP) and there she invited all the regional parties to come under one umbrella and to fight CAA.
Incidentally although Trinamool Congress , MP Derek O Brien tweeted that today’s meeting is govt to govt and Trinamool does not need certificates from anyone and the anti CAA movement has turned into a people’s movement.
Here is a tweet from Derek o Brien
Both Left and Congress criticized Banerjee for meeting with Modi and claimed that the bonhomie between Didi and Modi is clear and people can understand her dichotomy.
Sujan Chakraborty, CPI(M) leader said: “After meeting with Modi, she went for anti-CAA rally of TMCP at Dharmatala. Is it not a dichotomy? She is responsible for bringing BJP and that’s why she is not in favour of holding hands wih all Opposition parties against CAA. although she is claiming that she is against CAA. Her actions are showing that she is trying to secure her chair at the cost of keeping good relations with the BJP.”
Political analysts opinion
Imanklayan Lahiri, a senior political analysts and Professor of International Relations Jadavpur University, said despite meeting Prime Minister in a government programme Mamata Banerjee is careful not to allow her detractors to construe any unfavourable conclusion. Without wasting any time , before any damage is attempted by anyone , she wanted to make it clear that the optics of her sharing the stage with Prime Minister doesn’t have anything to do with her anti CAA stand. It is an attempt to clear the air and remove possible ambiguity on her stand on CAA. Since, she is keen to occupy the anti-BJP centre stage, she has made it clear that she is not willing to walk with the Congress. If Congress wants to walk with her she might welcome that . It is an effort to maintain anti BJP stand while ensuring one up manship visa -a vis Congress. Though it did not work in 2019 general elections, only time will tell whether it would work in future.