West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Writes To PM Modi Over Talks With Bangladesh 'Without Involving Bengal'

PM Modi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in the first bilateral meeting during the NDA 3.0 government addressed some of the long-pending irritants including sharing of the River Teesta water.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi objecting to the talks on the water sharing between India and Bangladesh last week, where she was not invited to attend.

Banerjee also urged the PM to not hold any such discussion with the neighbouring country without involving the West Bengal government.

“I am writing this letter in context of the recent visit of Prime Minister of Bangladesh. It seems that water sharing issues relating to the Ganges and Teesta rivers may have been discussed during the meeting. Such unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultation and the opinion of the state government is neither acceptable nor desirable,” the Bengal CM said in a three-page letter to Modi.

Bengal has a very close relationship with Bangladesh - geographically, culturally and economically, she noted.

“I love and respect people of Bangladesh and always wish for their well-being... I convey my strong reservation that no discussion on sharing of Teesta water and the Farakka Treaty should be taken up with Bangladesh without the involvement of the state government. The interest of people in West Bengal is paramount, which should not be compromised at any cost," she said.

"I came to understand that the Government of India is in the process of renewing the India-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty (1996) which is to expire in 2026. It is a treaty which delineates of sharing of water between Bangladesh and India and as you are aware it, has huge implications for the people of West Bengal," Mamata Banerjee added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the first bilateral meeting during the NDA 3.0 government addressed some of the long-pending irritants including the Bangladesh-India border and sharing of the River Teesta.

During the bilateral talks, the issue of sharing the water of the cross-boundary rivers, particularly the Teesta River, figured on PM Hasina’s agenda most prominently. As a result, both sides decided to constitute a technical team on the matter.