President’s secretariat declines TMC plea for appointment citing time constraints

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President Droupadi Murmu expresses displeasure aft  the West Bengal Government changed the venue of the International Santal Conference, successful  Darjeeling connected  March 7, 2026.

President Droupadi Murmu expresses displeasure aft the West Bengal Government changed the venue of the International Santal Conference, successful Darjeeling connected March 7, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI

Days aft President Droupadi Murmu’s circuit of West Bengal became a governmental flashpoint betwixt the BJP-led Union authorities and the Trinamool Congress-led State government, a TMC petition to conscionable the President to little her connected “welfare and improvement programmes for the upliftment of tribal communities” has been turned down by the President’s Secretariat, citing paucity of time.

During her visit, Ms. Murmu had publically expressed displeasure implicit the arrangements made for an lawsuit she attended successful Bengal and had besides questioned wherefore Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not conscionable her during the trip.

Also Read | Protocol lapses astatine President event: West Bengal Government submits report to Centre

On March 9, the Trinamool Congress wrote to the President seeking an assignment for a delegation comprising enactment MPs and Ministers from the West Bengal government. “The delegation wishes to proudly stock with you the galore initiatives by the authorities of West Bengal, nether the enactment of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, for the inclusive improvement of each sections of society,” the missive stated.

The TMC said the State authorities had, for much than a decade, implemented “path-breaking payment and improvement programmes” aimed astatine uplifting tribal communities, including initiatives successful education, societal security, livelihood support, and infrastructure improvement for SC, ST, and OBC communities crossed the State.

In its response, the President’s Secretariat said the petition had been considered but “could not beryllium acceded to owed to paucity of time.”

Also Read | President upset with Bengal Government for denying protocol, shifting venue of tribal conference

The TMC replied that portion it understood the constraints connected the President’s docket for the week, it hoped the petition could beryllium reconsidered astatine a clip convenient for her. The President’s secretariat has not yet responded to the 2nd email from the TMC. 

The contention began connected March 7, erstwhile Ms. Murmu travelled to Siliguri to be the 9th International Santal Conference, a gathering of tribal organisations. During her enactment astatine the event, she voiced displeasure implicit what she described arsenic lapses successful arrangements. She besides noted that erstwhile the President visits a State, the Chief Minister and Ministers are “generally expected” to beryllium present. Soon after, the Union Home Ministry sought a elaborate mentation from the West Bengal medication regarding alleged violations of protocol guidelines acceptable retired successful the government’s Blue Book, which governs the information and authoritative arrangements for visits by the President and different apical law authorities.

Published - March 12, 2026 09:39 p.m. IST

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