Last Updated on March 8, 2026 1:32 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
Row Erupts Over Protocol During President Murmu Bengal Visit
Staff Report / Kolkata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused President Droupadi Murmu of engaging in political messaging allegedly at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), escalating a fresh political confrontation ahead of the state Assembly elections.
Banerjee also questioned the President’s silence over what she described as atrocities against tribal communities in other parts of the country and announced that a delegation from the state would visit Rashtrapati Bhavan with a report detailing welfare schemes implemented for tribal communities in West Bengal.
The remarks came amid a growing controversy over an alleged breach of protocol during the President’s visit to the state to attend the International Santal Conference. During the event, Murmu pointed out that neither the Chief Minister nor members of her cabinet were present at the airport to receive her. Referring to Banerjee as her “younger sister”, the President had remarked that perhaps the Chief Minister was upset with her.
Responding to the comment, Banerjee—who is currently staging a sit-in protest against what she termed “arbitrary deletions” from voter rolls following the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state—said she respects the office of the President but accused the BJP of attempting to use the visit for political purposes.
“It is unfortunate. We respect the Honourable President of India. But I must say that she has been sent here to promote the BJP’s agenda,” Banerjee said. “We respect you, but please do not play politics on the advice of the BJP at a time when elections are approaching,” she added.
The Chief Minister also asked why the President had not spoken about the Special Intensive Revision exercise and questioned whether the deletion of tribal voters’ names from electoral rolls had been examined.
The controversy drew a strong response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described the episode as “shameful and unprecedented”. In a post on social media platform X, Modi said the incident had saddened people across the country, particularly because the President herself comes from a tribal background.
“The pain and anguish expressed by Rashtrapati Ji has deeply saddened the people of India,” the Prime Minister wrote, adding that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal had “crossed all limits”.
Modi further said the President’s office stands above political considerations and must always be treated with the highest respect. He also criticised the state government for what he described as a casual approach toward an event celebrating Santal culture.
Meanwhile, Banerjee also rejected claims that members of the Santal community were prevented from attending the conference. She clarified that the state government was not the organiser of the programme and therefore had no role in determining participation.
“You said Santals were not allowed to go to the venue. But the state government was not a party to the event,” Banerjee said. She added that the state government would always extend a formal welcome to the President during official visits.
The exchange of remarks between the state leadership and the Centre has intensified political tensions in West Bengal, where electoral preparations are already underway ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls.