2 months ago
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As contention rages implicit due protocol not being followed during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Darjeeling connected Saturday (March 7, 2026), territory officials emphasise that they had warned their superiors that arrangements astatine the International Santhal Conference were inadequate.
The Sub-Divisional Officer of Siliguri had, connected March 4, written to the District Magistrate of Darjeeling that preparatory enactment astatine the venue had not yet been started by the organiser, with 2 days to spell earlier the scheduled programme.
“In presumption of the value and sensitivity of the programme, peculiarly owed to the beingness of the Hon’ble President of India, capable mentation of the venue and related infrastructure is of utmost necessity. However, it has been observed contiguous during inspection that preparatory enactment astatine the venue has not yet been started by the organiser, contempt the information that lone 2 days stay earlier the scheduled programme,” the SDO Siliguri wrote to the Darjeeling District Magistrate.
The SDO urged the DM to contented directions to the acrophobic organiser truthful that contiguous steps whitethorn beryllium taken to guarantee due mentation of the venue and related arrangements good earlier the scheduled day of the programme.
Violation of bluish book
The precise aforesaid day, connected March 4, 2026, the District Magistrate of Darjeeling wrote to the OSD & Under Secretary to the Government of West Bengal urging a reappraisal with the organiser of preparations and arrangements to guarantee that protocol for a Presidential sojourn is observed. “In lawsuit it appears that they are not successful a presumption to enactment up a due programme, past the viability of holding the programme whitethorn beryllium reviewed,” the DM wrote. The District Magistrate had suggested that “this whitethorn kindly beryllium taken up with the Office of the Hon’ble President of India”.
The OSD and Under Secretary, GoWB, had forwarded the connection to the Protocol and Tour Officer, President’s Secretariat, Rashtrapati Bhavan.
On Sunday (March 8, 2026), Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan sought a study from West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty implicit lapses during the President’s sojourn and usurpation of the bluish publication during President Murmu visit.
Officials who person been progressive with arrangements during events wherever the President of India has been contiguous said that protocol and rules arsenic per the bluish publication had to beryllium adhered to during these visits.
Minister successful waiting
“There is simply a conception of a Minister-in- Waiting who should beryllium contiguous to invited the President if the Chief Minister is unavailable. Usually it is simply a elder Minister successful the State’s Council of Minister, but successful this lawsuit (for President Murmu’s sojourn connected March 7) neither the Governor (who had resigned) nor the Chief Minister (who was connected dharna successful Kolkata) nor immoderate Minister- in-waiting was contiguous to invited the President,” the authoritative said.
The Mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Gautam Deb, who was contiguous astatine the lawsuit to person the President cannot beryllium accorded the presumption of a Minister-in-waiting arsenic per the protocols laid successful the bluish book. Officials said that the rules laid successful the bluish publication cannot beryllium changed arsenic per convenience of the State government. President Murmu had raised the contented of protocol not being adhered to during her sojourn by saying, “If the President visits a place, the Chief Minister and the Ministers should besides come. But she did not...”.
