TMC to Skip PM Designate Narendra Modi's Swearing-in Ceremony, Announces Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that her party will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi on June 9, describing the to be formed government as unconstitutional and illegal. Responding to TMC’s participation in the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday, Mamata Banerjee clearly stated that neither she has received any invitation, nor she will attend the ceremony.

The West Bengal Chief Minister, after meeting the newly-elected MPs on Saturday, said that the Trinamool Congress will not attend the swearing-in ceremony. She said, “We have not got an invitation yet. Even if we do, we will not attend the ceremony.”

We Cannot Give Our Best Wishes to This Government: Mamata Banerjee

Addressing the media personnel, TMC supremo Banerjee added, “This government is forming undemocratically and unconstitutionally. We cannot give our best wishes to this government. We give our best wishes to the country and the people of the country.”

At the onset of the meeting, Banerjee congratulated the victorious candidates, especially the new ones such as Yusuf Pathan, Rachana Banerjee, Mitali Bag, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia. She further announced that her party has appointed MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay as the leader in the Lok Sabha while Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar will take the role of the deputy leader. Kalyan Banerjee has been named the chief whip in the Lok Sabha.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien was elected as the party leader in the Upper House, while Sagarika Ghose was elected as the deputy leader in the House. MP Nadimul Haque on the other hand will be the Rajya Sabha chief whip.

Mamata Banerjee, while addressing the media, stated that the INDI Alliance may not have claimed stake to form government at the Centre, but that does not mean they will not claim in future as the NDA government, which is about to take oath on Sunday, may not last longer. “Let’s wait for sometime. Country needs change. Nobody wants Modi. After this result, he should have stepped down,” she said.

Mamata Banerjee, buoyed by TMC's strong performance in the general elections, said her party will raise the demand in Parliament to revoke the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.