New Delhi/Kolkata: In a complete reversal of the earlier decision West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not attend the oath-taking ceremonies of Parkash Singh Badal and Akhilesh Yadav as Chief Ministers of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh respectively, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien tweeted on Sunday.
“Just spoke to Mamatadi. Was keen to make trip to Ch’garh/L’now but now she’ll be in Bengal on opening day of Assembly for Guv address,” tweeted Derek.
The Trinamool Congress chief had on saturday said, “I will try to attend the swearing-in ceremonies’ of Badal and Yadav.”
Derek, however, declined to comment on Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi’s caution against Banerjee not to cross the “laxman rekha (boundary line)” of “coalition dharma” by attending the two swearing-in ceremonies. T
The Congress spokesman told reporters in Delhi, “Social interactions with strangers by those in partnerships is permissible but obviously if things go beyond the normal boundaries of social courtesy, it would become immoral.”
“Social interactions with strangers by those in partnerships is permissible, but obviously if things go beyond the normal boundaries of social courtesy, it would become immoral,” party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.
The BJP is the part of the Badal Government in Punjab with the SAD-BJP combine creating history by retaining power by defeating the Congress, while the Samajwadi Party had trounced the Congress to the fourth place in UP polls despite Rahul Gandhi leading the campaign from the front.
Singhvi’s remarks were significant as they came just a day before the budget session of Parliament which appears to be a tough affair for the Congress-led coalition with the opposition parties attempting to make a common cause with allies of the UPA as also supporting parties on the issue of federalism.
The Trinamool Congress has emerged as the most troublesome ally of the Congress in recent months and has left no opportunity to create problems for the Centre on all major issues including petrol price hike and allowing FDI in retail. Senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed had met Mamata in Kolkata (Agencies)