Abolish NITI Aayog, Reinstate Planning Commission: Mamata's Plea Before Meeting

In an interview with Aaj Tak, Mamata stated that the Planning Commission was the brainchild of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The NITI Aayog holds no real power. It lacks the authority that the former Planning Commission had.
Mamata Banerjee - File Photo

Source: aajtak

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in Delhi on July 27 to participate in the NITI Aayog meeting. In an exclusive interview with Aaj Tak, she shared her thoughts prior to the meeting. Mamata emphasized that the Planning Commission should be reinstated in place of the NITI Aayog. This marks her first participation in the NITI Aayog meeting as part of the INDIA Bloc CMs post the 2024 general elections.

Speaking with Aaj Tak, Mamata stated that the Planning Commission was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's idea. The NITI Aayog lacks any real power or the former authority of the Planning Commission. It fails to coordinate with state governments properly. 'I will raise issues not just for Bengal, but for all states governed by various parties in India,' she said.

This is considered cooperative federalism, but they (opposition) are biased. They are imposing economic blockades on states governed by the INDIA Bloc parties. The Bengal CM added, 'There's no need to attend the NITI Aayog meeting. We are unaware of their intentions. The budget has already been set, and it's anti-people, anti-poor, and politically biased. I had canceled my schedule yesterday, but I was urged to reconsider.'

She mentioned that Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren is also coming. Attacking the opposition, Mamata noted, 'They want to divide the country. They spoke of fragmentation during elections, and now they are doing it. They are trying to create divisions between Bihar, Jharkhand, and Bengal.'

NDA in Coalition Government Out of Compulsion: Mamata

Commenting on the NDA government, Mamata Banerjee said that while they have formed the government, they lack the people's mandate. If you look at the mandate, the INDIA Bloc has a total vote share of 51%, whereas NDA has 46%. The NDA government will fall due to internal conflicts. They will fight amongst themselves. Just wait and see. The BJP does not believe in coalition politics; they are in a coalition government out of necessity.

Mamata stated that Uddhav and his coalition will perform well in Maharashtra. BJP will lose in Haryana. Hemant will win again in Jharkhand. For Bihar, I can’t say anything right now. Regional parties should re-emerge prominently.

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