Mamata Banerjee to attend President’s G20 dinner in Delhi; BJP lauds decision

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be travelling to New Delhi on Saturday for the President’s G20 dinner, officials said on Wednesday. She will be flying to the national capital at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu, they said.

Asserting that it’s well known that India is Bharat, the Trinamool Congress chief had on Tuesday questioned the need to “suddenly use only Bharat” while referring to India in an official communique.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently shared on X a G20 dinner invitation from President Murmu, which described her position as the “President of Bharat”.

Lauding Banerjee’s decision, the opposition BJP asserted that it is an endorsement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the country in the right way.

The CPI(M) claimed she might have some “additional work” in New Delhi as was seen in the past.

“It is good she has accepted the invite as the prestige of the state is at stake and she is going there representing West Bengal,” senior state BJP leader Rahul Sinha told PTI.  He claimed that Banerjee changes her public posturing depending on the turn of events.

“Just one day ago, she flayed the Modi government on the issue of ‘Bharat’ in the invitation card and better sense prevailed the next day…  It is an endorsement that the way Modi-ji is leading the country is the right way,” Sinha said.

CPI(M) Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the invitation is from the President of Bharat and not the President of India.  He said, “So, in a way this is illegal. I wonder if Mamata Banerjee is going there as the CM of West Bengal or as the CM of Paschim Banga (as the state is known in Bengali).”

“I believe she has some additional work in New Delhi. Every time she goes to New Delhi, there is some other purpose,” Chakraborty added.

The G20 Summit is being held in Delhi on September 9 and September 10 under India’s presidency and several heads of state from across the world, including US President Joe Biden, are attending the event.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, with whom Banerjee shares a cordial relationship, is also likely to be present at the event.