Mamata pans Centre for not inviting her to be part of Bangladesh PM's India visit

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the Centre for not inviting her to be a part of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ongoing visit to India.

Banerjee said she had come to know that “Hasina wanted to meet her”, and wondered why the BJP-led central government was ”worried” about her meeting the Bangladesh PM.

”I share an excellent relationship with her (Hasina), but (the Centre) did not invite me to be a part of her visit,” she said here while addressing a special session of the Trinamool Congress.

”I don’t want to talk about external affairs or bilateral ties. But, I have noticed that the Centre tries to stop me whenever I am invited to any foreign country… I don’t need to go out because travelling in Bengal is like covering the entire world,” Banerjee said.

Hasina arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a four-day tour to expand overall ties between the two countries.

”I read in newspaper reports that Hasina wanted to meet me. For the first time, West Bengal has been kept out of discussions with Bangladesh,” the chief minister said.

Banerjee also said she felt honoured that Hasina “expressed interest to meet her”.

”She sends me sarees and other gifts during Durga Puja; I reciprocate the gesture during Eid,” she added.