Mayawati Slams Security Lapse for President Murmu, Calls for Respect

Mayawati took to social media, X, and said, "According to the ideals and dignity of the Indian Constitution, it is necessary for everyone to respect the post of the Honourable President and also to observe its protocol, and it is not right to politicise this post in any way."

"The current President of the country is not only a woman but also a member of the tribal community. However, what happened during her recent visit to West Bengal should not have happened. This is extremely unfortunate. Similarly, the recent politicisation of Parliament, especially of the post of Speaker of the Lok Sabha, is also not appropriate. It would be better if everyone rose above party politics and respected the dignity of constitutional positions," she said.

Mayawati said the session of Parliament starting from Monday should run completely smoothly in the interest of the country.

"In this sequence, the session of Parliament starting from tomorrow should run completely smoothly in the interest of the country and the people. This is the expectation of the people and also the demand of the time," she added.

Earlier in the day, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the controversy surrounding the venue change for the 9th International Santal Conference, as well as the challenges faced by the country's first tribal President, Droupadi Murmu, is not only "unfortunate" for West Bengal but for the entire nation.

Earlier on Saturday, when the incident took place, Rijiju had said, "I have always taken pride in being Adivasi and Indian. This shameful act by the Chief Minister of West Bengal has hurt my pride. Insulting the esteemed tribal woman, Hon'ble Draupadi Murmu Ji, who holds the office of the President of India, is an insult to tribal pride and an assault on the Constitution of India."

The remarks came after President Droupadi Murmu expressed displeasure over the last-minute change in the venue of the Santal Conference in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal.

The event was originally scheduled to be held at Phansidewa, but the organisers were compelled to shift it to a smaller venue at Gossaipur after the state administration allegedly denied permission for the programme at the original location, citing security concerns.

During the event, President Murmu expressed concern over the sudden change of venue and the inconvenience caused to participants. She also noted that neither Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee nor any member of her Cabinet met her during her visit to the state.

The West Bengal government, led by Trinamool Congress, has come under scathing attack from various sections of society over developments at the President programme.

However, both Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee have issued social media statements refuting the criticisms.

- IANS