Mamata Banerjee opts out of PM’s Bangladesh visit

She did not specify any reason for deciding not to go to Bangladesh.

Injecting a political twist,West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today pulled out of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s two-day visit to Bangladesh from Tuesday,apparently upset over the proposed treaty on sharing of Teesta river waters.

“I am not going,” Banerjee said,when asked whether she will visit Bangladesh. She did not specify any reason for deciding not to go to Bangladesh.

Banerjee is believed to be sore over the revised final draft of the treaty under which more water of Teesta river was to be shared with Bangladesh as she felt such a move would hurt West Bengal’s interests.

Banerjee and chief ministers of four other statesAssam,Tripura,Mizoram and Meghalaya–bordering Bangladesh were scheduled to accompany the Prime Minister on his visit starting September six.

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Banerjee was to go to Dhaka directly from Kolkata instead of joining the PM’s delegation in Delhi.

National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon had met Banerjee on August 31 to brief her on the strategy of bilateral discussion during the Prime Minister’s visit.

First published on: 04-09-2011 at 21:23 IST