In response, Banerjee said, “It is unfortunate. We respect the Honourable President of India. But I must say that the President has been sent (to Bengal) to sell the BJP’s agenda. I am sorry madam. But you have been trapped by the BJP.” She was speaking from the site of a sit-in demonstration against “arbitrary deletions” in voter rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state.
“We respect you. But don’t play politics on the BJP’s advice during elections. You did not speak about SIR. How many tribal names have been (removed) from the voter list? Kindly find out,” said Banerjee.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, hit out at the CM, calling the incident “shameful and unprecedented”. In a post on X, he wrote: “Everyone who believes in democracy and the empowerment of tribal communities is disheartened. The pain and anguish expressed by Rashtrapati Ji, who herself hails from a tribal community, has caused immense sadness in the minds of the people of India.”
“The TMC Government of West Bengal has truly crossed all limits. Their administration is responsible for this insult to the President. It is equally unfortunate that a subject as important as Santal culture is treated so casually by the West Bengal Government. The office of the President is above politics and the sanctity of this office should always be respected. One hopes better sense prevails among the West Bengal Government and TMC,” Modi wrote.
Speaking at the programme, Murmu said the venue was shifted by the administration, and many Santals were allegedly stopped from attending. The programme was initially supposed to be held in a field in Bidhannagar, but the administration shifted the venue to Gosainpur in Siliguri.
“I can see from here that many Santals are moving away. I think someone is stopping them… People don’t want Santals to be united, Santals to be educated, Santals to be strengthened,” she said.
After the programme, she visited the Bidhannagar field and planted a tree. Later, she spoke to the people there and said, “The programme was scheduled to be held here. This is a big field where 5 lakh people could have been accommodated. But the administration shifted the venue… They said this venue was congested. There are many intelligent people here (in the administration). But I don’t know why this happened.”
“That venue (Gosainpur) is far away. Maybe they thought that the President would come and leave as there would be no one. I am really sad. Generally, when the President visits somewhere, the Chief Minister comes, ministers come. The Chief Minister did not come. I understand that the Governor has been transferred, and that is why he could not come. The date for the programme was fixed earlier… But no issue. I am also Bengal’s daughter. Mamata Banerjee is my sister… my younger sister… Maybe she is angry with me. But it’s okay, I wish her well,” she said.
Earlier, during his speech at the conference, the organiser, Naresh Murmu, expressed anger at the local administration, alleging, “Police changed the venue of this programme four times. They didn’t even build a separate washroom for the President. Now, they are stopping our people from entering this venue, saying they don’t have a security pass, but they did not even arrange any security passes.”
Responding to the claims that Santals were not allowed to participate, the CM said, “You said Santals were not allowed to go to the venue. But the state government was not party to the event. We get information about the visit. Every day, so many are coming… A B C D. Are we supposed to follow them? Don’t we have any other work? Come once a year, we will receive you. If you come (repeatedly), what will we do?”
“You are the priority for the BJP, and my priority is the people. I am on a dharna. Two days ago, I heard you were coming. I don’t know who is organising the event,” she said. “Why don’t you protest when atrocities are committed against tribals. Why don’t you protest when it happens in Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh?”
“Look at the difference, see what we have done for tribal communities in Bengal and look at what has happened to tribals in many other states. And tell me something, when tribals were suffering during the violence in Manipur, when they were being attacked and humiliated, why did we not hear your voice then?” she said.
In a post on her X handle, the CM also dismissed claims that no one received the President. “The International Santal Council, a private organisation, invited the President to the conference. After advanced security liaison, the district administration flagged in writing to the President’s Secretariat that the organiser appeared inadequately prepared; the concern was also conveyed telephonically,” she wrote.
‘The President’s Secretariat advance team visited on 05.03.26, was apprised of the lack of arrangements, yet the programme continued as scheduled,” she wrote.
“Hon’ble President was received and seen off by Mayor Siliguri Municipal Corporation, DM Darjeeling, and CP Siliguri Police Commissionerate strictly as per the approved lineup shared by the President’s Secretariat. CM, West Bengal, was not part of the lineup or the dais plan. No protocol lapse happened on part of district administration,” she wrote.
She said it’s unfortunate that the “BJP is disrespecting and misusing the highest chair in the country for its own party agenda”.
The Opposition BJP and Congress hit out at the CM.
Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha, speaking to The Indian Express, claimed: “An anti-India government is running in Bengal. It is an insult to the head of the country, the President, though I am sure this breach took place with full knowledge of the Chief Minister. Strict action should be taken against officials who are responsible for this situation today.”
Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, while speaking to media persons, said, “The President is the head of the country. She holds the top post. What happened is unbecoming…”
However, TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said, “The whole situation was created because of the Election Commission of India. Our Chief Minister is now fighting for the people’s rights. We know our President is a very good human, and she would understand Banerjee’s compulsions.”
TMC leader and local MLA Goutam Dev claimed, “The programme was purely a private programme. They selected the venue… finalised all these things just a day before. Why is the state government being blamed?”
President Murmu said, “I can see from here, many Santhals are moving away. I think someone is stopping them... People don’t want Santhals to be united, Santhals to be educated, Santhals to be strengthened.” 
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