West Bengal Chief Minister Walks Out of NITI Aayog Meeting Amidst Controversy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting focused on making India a developed nation by 2047. The meeting saw controversy when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked out, claiming her microphone was switched off. Several states ruled by the INDIA bloc and NDA ally Bihar also skipped the meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a crucial NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting on Saturday, focused on crafting a roadmap to make India a developed nation by 2047. However, the event was marred by controversy when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked out, alleging her microphone had been switched off mid-speech.

Despite Modi urging states to leverage technological and geopolitical changes for development, the meeting was boycotted by most INDIA bloc-ruled states and saw the absence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a BJP ally. The Congress labeled the treatment of Banerjee as 'unacceptable' and criticized NITI Aayog for functioning as an extension of the Prime Minister's Office.

The meeting, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, spotlighted the need for participative governance and international investments. Modi emphasized that India's youthful workforce and reforms like NEP and PMVishwakarma could drive transformational change. However, opposition states claimed they were ignored in the recent Union Budget.