Union Home Secretary seeks report from Bengal chief secretary regarding lapses relating to President's Santhal event

The CM also said that the Siliguri distict administration had flagged a lack of adequate arrangements at the venue, which documents shared by her showed was originally supposed to be in Goshaipur, to the President's Secretariat ahead of the latter's visit.

• Union Home Secretary requests report on Bengal govt protocol lapses
• President Murmu disappointed by venue change in Bengal
• PM Modi called the incident shameful and unprecedented

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A day after President Droupadi Murmu expressed strong displeasure after TMC-ruled West Bengal government changed the venue of an event she was supposed to attend, the Union Home Secretary on Sunday sought a detailed report from the Bengal chief secretary regarding the lapses by 5 pm.

Quoting officials, news agency ANI tweeted: "Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal Chief Secretary by 5 pm today regarding lapses in the prescribed protocol for receiving President Droupadi Murmu, the change of venue of the International Santal Conference in Darjeeling district, and other related arrangements."

A major political controversy erupted in West Bengal on Saturday after President expressed disappointment with the State government for changing the venue of the International Santal Conference in Darjeeling district and not adhering to the desired protocol to receive her at the event.

“They (government) had said this place (Bidhannagar) is congested you will not be able to go. But I think five lakh people could gather here easily. But I don’t know why they took us there... I don’t know what went through the administration’s mind that they chose a place for the conference where the Santal people could not go... I am very sad that the people here were unable to reach the conference because it was held so far away,” President Murmu said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the development as “shameful and unprecedented”. In a social media post on X,  Modi said that the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal has crossed all limits and their administration is responsible for this insult to the President. He said that the “anguish and concern expressed by the President, who has risen from the tribal community itself, have instilled profound sorrow in the hearts of the people of India”.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has countered, saying that she and her ministers were never supposed to be present as per the lineup approved by the President's Secretariat and that the event was arranged by a private organisation. The documents also have no mention of Bidhannagar being the initial location.

The CM also said that the Siliguri distict administration had flagged a lack of adequate arrangements at the venue, which documents shared by her showed was originally supposed to be in Goshaipur, to the President's Secretariat ahead of the latter's visit. Pictures the Bengal CM shared, claiming to be two days before Murmu's visit, showed a barren field with no structures needed for a public gathering.