'BJP CMs Allowed To Speak, Others Reduced To Puppets': Mamata Calls PM's Covid Meet Super Flop

Continuing her outburst against Prime Minister Modi, Banerjee said the former humiliated the chief ministers by not allowing them to speak at the meeting held to discuss the Covid pandemic.

PM Modi interacts with the state and district officials on COVID-19 situation through video conferencing. (Image: PTI)

Kolkata: Alleging that an “insecure” Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not want to listen to the chief ministers during the meeting held to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the former of bypassing the federal structure and said this was not a one-way communication but “one nation, one humiliation”.

Continuing her outburst against Prime Minister Modi, Banerjee said the former humiliated the chief ministers by not allowing them to speak at the meeting held to discuss the Covid pandemic.

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“This was not a one-way communication... it was one way humiliation... One nation, all humiliation,” she said, adding the Prime Minister did not offer any financial support or even allow any Chief Minister to speak.

“Is the Prime Minister so insecure that he didn't want to listen to the Chief Ministers? Why is he so scared? If he didn't want to hear the Chief Ministers why call us? He let some District Magistrates speak and insulted the Chief Ministers,” she told the media after PM Modi’s meeting with the district magistrates of 10 states, which was also attended by some chief ministers.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said “it was so unfortunate that after inviting the CMs, he did not talk to us”.

She also claimed that only CMs of the BJP-ruled states were allowed to speak at the meeting, while others were "reduced to puppets".

“Only some BJP chief ministers and the PM made small speeches and ended the meeting after this. It was a casual meeting…We feel humiliated. He never asked about vaccines or about remdesivir. He never asked about black fungus cases,” she added.

Asserting that she attended the meeting to flag several important issues, including vaccine shortage, Banerjee said Prime Minister Modi did not ask about the availability of beds, vaccine or oxygen or about the status of the black fungus infection in Covid-19 patients.

“We expected to demand vaccines but were not allowed to speak,” she added.

The Chief Minister also hit out at Prime Minister Modi over his assertions that fresh Covid-19 cases are on a decline.

“The PM claimed that coronavirus is decreasing. This claim was done previously as well, which led to a further increase in cases. PM Modi is so insecure that he did not listen us,” Banerjee said.

“I am not speaking on behalf of all chief ministers. But what is happening is...  dictatorship, like martial law is going on,” she added.

Banerjee’s fresh attack against Prime Minister Modi comes just days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested West Bengal ministers Subrata Mukherjee and Firhad Hakim, party MLA Madan Mitra and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee in connection with the Narada case.