Despite party MP criticism, Mamata Banerjee mum on Article 370 move

Kolkata: In an unusual instance Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has been conspicuous by her silence in sharp contrast to other Opposition leaders over the Narendra Modi government’s revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution which had given a special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

While her party MP Derek O’Brien slammed the Centre in the Rajya Sabha in Parliament on Monday, Ms Banerjee, who has been fierce critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and led the attack on him on a variety of national issues starting from demonetisation in recent times, has so far refrained herself from making any comment against the BJP government however.

During the day Ms Banerjee attended her office at Nabanna, the state secretariat. But her eyes were set on the drastic developments unfolding in New Delhi and J&K since morning, according to sources. Till the evening an official reaction from the West Bengal chief minister remained missing however.

Her muteness has created a suspense in the political circle. A section of her party leaders on anonymity linked her silence to political strategist Prashant Kishor’s advice. Encashing the chance the Opposition parties meanwhile questionned Ms Banerjee’s silence. The Congress and CPI(M) alleged that her muteness exposed her support to the Centre’s move.

State Congress president Somen Mitra said, “We have repeated that Ms Banerjee has an understanding with the BJP which has been proven many times in the past. Now the same has been established again. What she fails to understand is that a similar fate may also happen to Darjeeling and Cooch Behar to bifurcate West Bengal in future.”

He claimed, “What happened in case of J&K is a way of dividing a state which has been paved through a resolution using the signature of the President of the country in it. Is it sure West Bengal not in the list? It is Ms Banerjee who will however have to suffer it. But she is silent now.” Lashing out at the TMC chief CPI(M) MLA of Jadavpur Sujan Chakraborty wondered whether she was still trying to weigh the benefits of not opposing the Centre’s decision. “She has been an ally of BJP for a long time. Now she extended her support to Mr Modi again in fact but through her silence,” he argued.