Shillong, September 6: Despite her strong objection to the use of “Bharat” in the invitation letter from Rashtrapati Bhawan for the G20 Summit dinner, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend the event on Saturday night.
IANS reported that sources from the state cabinet revealed that Banerjee made this decision after consulting with leaders of other constituents of the INDIA alliance who also confirmed their presence at the event.
Another factor influencing Banerjee’s decision is the opportunity to meet and interact with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the G20 dinner. The two leaders share a cordial personal relationship, which further motivated Banerjee to attend the event.
Banerjee had previously criticized the use of “Bharat” instead of “India” on the invitation letter, accusing it of distorting the country’s history.
Political observers suggest that attending the dinner will also allow Banerjee to informally meet leaders of other INDIA alliance constituents. This gathering can serve as a dress rehearsal before the next official meeting of the INDIA alliance, scheduled to take place in the national capital.
Banerjee is set to arrive in Delhi on Saturday morning and return to Kolkata the following day.
