A sharp political row has erupted between the Centre and the West Bengal government over President Droupadi Murmu’s recent visit to the state, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi trading accusations over alleged disrespect to the country’s highest constitutional office.
The row intensified further after the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), on Sunday evening, targeted the Prime Minister by sharing a two-year-old photograph from a 2024 ceremony in which President Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna on BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani at his residence in New Delhi.
In the photograph, dated March 31, 2024, President Murmu is seen standing while PM Modi is seated beside Advani during the award ceremony. Sharing the image on social media, the TMC has accused the Prime Minister of hypocrisy over claims that the West Bengal government had disrespected the President during her recent visit.
“The Prime Minister keeps making grand claims about respecting the President’s office. Let us take a good look at this photo. The country’s first tribal woman President stands while the Prime Minister sits comfortably in his chair,” the party said in a post, alleging that such visuals undermined claims of respect for the office.
The Prime Minister keeps making grand claims about respecting the President's office.Let us take a good look at this photo. The country's first tribal woman President stands while the Prime Minister sits comfortably in his chair. All proclamations of respect for the… pic.twitter.com/LUzw5wW4dW — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) March 8, 2026
At a public rally, Banerjee also referred to the photograph while responding to PM Modi’s criticism of her government.
“Honourable Prime Minister, this is for you. Do you respect the President, a woman and a tribal leader? Then why is the President standing and you are sitting?” she said. “This photograph proves who respects and who does not.”
The political confrontation stems from Murmu’s visit to north Bengal on Saturday to attend the ninth International Santal Conference near Siliguri.
During her address, the President expressed disappointment that neither the chief minister nor any cabinet minister was present to receive her at Bagdogra airport.
“Generally, when the President is coming, the Chief Minister should be welcoming, and other ministers should be present. But she did not come,” Murmu said. She also raised concerns about a last-minute change in the venue of the event, saying the new location made it difficult for members of the Santhal community to attend.
“I do not know why the state administration did not permit the meeting there. Today’s programme is being held in a place where it is difficult for people to come,” she said.
At the same time, the President attempted to soften the tone of her remarks, saying Banerjee was like her “younger sister” and describing herself as a “daughter of Bengal”.
Reacting to the developments, PM Modi accused the TMC government of insulting the President and said the people of West Bengal would not forgive the party.
Speaking on International Women’s Day, the Prime Minister described the incident as “shameful and unprecedented” and said the treatment of Murmu amounted to disrespect toward both a woman leader and a representative of India’s tribal community.
He alleged that the TMC had “crossed all limits” by failing to accord proper respect to the President and by allegedly boycotting an important cultural event connected with the Santhal community. “The enlightened people of West Bengal will never forgive this insult,” PM Modi said.
The BJP also linked the episode to a broader pattern of disrespect toward constitutional authorities, contrasting it with the central government’s programmes aimed at empowering women and tribal communities.
Banerjee has, however, strongly rejected the allegations, insisting that the state government had no role in organising the event and therefore could not be held responsible for any logistical lapses.
“It was a programme of a private organisation. If they could not organise it properly for you, that is their problem,” she said.
The chief minister said the state administration had earlier warned that the organisers might not have the capacity to conduct such a large event. She added that the President’s office nevertheless chose to accept the invitation. “It was the President’s choice to attend. They did not involve us in organising it,” she said.
Banerjee also attributed complaints about facilities at the venue to the Airports Authority of India, which provided the site where the event was eventually held. “I cross-checked the information regarding the washroom. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Airports Authority of India. If anything went wrong there, it is their failure,” she said.
On the question of protocol, Banerjee said Siliguri mayor Goutam Deb was present at Bagdogra airport to receive the President. She also justified her own absence by pointing to her participation in an ongoing protest in Kolkata. “I am sitting in a dharna and fighting to protect people’s rights. How could I leave?” she said.
The TMC has escalated its counter-offensive by accusing the BJP of selective outrage over respect for the President.
Banerjee displayed the photograph of the 2024 Bharat Ratna ceremony during a sit-in protest, arguing that it showed Modi seated while Murmu remained standing.
“The picture shows that the PM is seated when the President is standing. We never do that. It is the BJP that carries the culture of insulting the President,” she said.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee also raised questions about why Murmu was not invited to key events such as the inauguration of the Ram temple and the new Parliament building.
Amid the escalating political war of words, the Centre has formally sought an explanation from the state administration.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan directed the West Bengal chief secretary to submit a detailed report on the alleged protocol lapses, including the change of venue, route arrangements, and the absence of senior state representatives during the President’s visit.
The state government was asked to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrangements before a deadline set by the Centre, although it was not immediately clear whether the report had been formally submitted.
The controversy has rapidly evolved from an administrative dispute into a broader political battle between the BJP-led Centre and the TMC government in West Bengal.
With assembly elections approaching in the state, both sides have sought to frame the episode to their advantage. While the BJP has portrayed the incident as an insult to the President and to tribal communities, the TMC has accused the Centre of politicising the issue for electoral gain.
Banerjee said the Prime Minister only remembers West Bengal when elections approach. “Like a migratory bird remembering the season, the Prime Minister remembers Bengal only when elections approach,” she said.
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