Mamata Banerjee Takes PM Head On At Inauguration, Says "We Did It First"

Taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi head on at an official function, Mamata Banerjee declared that the project he was supposed to inaugurate was actually inaugurated by the state government long ago.

The frequent opposition complaint that the BJP-led Central government steals credit for state projects was highlighted dramatically today by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi head on at an official function, Ms Banerjee declared that the project he was supposed to inaugurate was actually inaugurated by the state government long ago.

The occasion was the opening of the second campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata. PM Modi was expected to inaugurate it virtually from Delhi and was attending the proceedings online, when it was Ms Banerjee's turn to speak.

"I have come to the programme because of the Prime Minister. Because Pradhan Mantri ji is virtually inaugurating this project," the Chief Minister said.

"The Honourable Health Minister had telephoned me twice. This is why I thought this is a Calcutta programme in which the Prime Minister has taken an interest. I'd like to inform him that we have inaugurated the programme first. How did we do it? When Covid started and we needed a Covid centre, I went there one day. The Rajarhat second campus of Chittaranjan Hospital. I saw it was linked to the state government and we inaugurated it," Ms Banerjee declared.