Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stepped up his attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal over the treatment meted out to President Droupadi Murmu. The PM said that the “enlightened people” of the state will never forgive the party for “insulting” a woman tribal leader and the President of the country.
PM Modi’s remarks came after President Murmu expressed displeasure over the change of venue of a conference of the tribal Santal community in West Bengal on Saturday and the absence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her ministers during her visit.
The incident soon snowballed into a massive political row with top Union Ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders slamming Banerjee for allegedly humiliating the President of India.
West Bengal is going to the polls in two months.
Hours later, CM Banerjee asserted there was no breach of protocol at President Draupadi Murmu’s programme in Siliguri and said that the responsibility for any mismanagement at the function lay with its private organisers and the Airports Authority of India, which provided the venue.
President Murmu expressed her anguish at not finding either the chief minister or any of her cabinet ministers to receive her at Bagdogra Airport on Saturday, when she arrived to attend an international tribal conference.
Amid a row over “lapses” at President Murmu’s event, the Centre sought a response from the State Government on “violations” of protocol, venue, and route arrangements during her visit, sources said.
Was there a breach or not?
The ruling Trinamool Congress in poll-bound West Bengal, however, rejected the allegations of protocol lapses, describing them as politically motivated attempts by the opposition to embarrass the state government.
There have been occasions in the past when chief ministers were absent from the official reception for the President, Vice-President, and Prime Minister. However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee not nominating even a minister to receive President Droupadi Murmu is unusual and triggered a political row.
This is the first time that a President has not been received by the Chief Minister or by a minister in West Bengal. In May 2021, during a visit by PM Narendra Modi to West Bengal, CM Banerjee skipped a cyclone meeting chaired by the PM, but she received him at the airport.
As per the rules, it is not a must for chief ministers to receive the visiting President. But, by convention and courtesy, the CM should nominate a minister to receive the President if the President is unavailable.
During President Murmu’s visit to Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, in September last year, neither the Governor, Anandiben Patel, nor the Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, was present to receive her. However, CM Yogi had nominated one of his ministers, Lakshmi Narain Chaudhary, to receive her.
What do the rules say about the President?
Here are the key aspects of the protocol for the President of India:
-The President is typically received and seen off by the Governor and the Chief Minister of the state, or a designated minister if they are unavailable.
-The visits and all related arrangements of the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister are managed according to the ‘Blue Book’, a confidential document prepared and updated by the Union Home Ministry. The book is kept in the custody of the District Magistrate and the district police chief.
-The Blue Book defines all arrangements necessary for the visits of the dignitaries. This book guides all security and, logistical arrangements for visits.
-The President is ranked number 1 in the table of precedence, followed by the Vice-President and Prime Minister.
-High-level, specialised security arrangements are mandatory, often involving the district magistrate and police commissioner.
-The protocol suggests that all three dignitaries — the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister — visiting a state should be welcomed by the Governor and the Chief Minister. However, on several occasions, the Chief Minister designates one of the ministers to receive them.
-Any, deviation from these procedures, such as the absence of top state officials during a visit, is considered a breach of protocol.
-A list of those who are going to receive visiting dignitaries – the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister – and also of those who are going to meet them is approved by their offices in advance.
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