President Draupadi Murmu arrived in West Bengal on Saturday (7 March 2026) to attend a program of the tribal community. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not reach the airport to welcome him, due to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the TMC government. Referring to the Presidential Protocol, the PM said that the TMC government of Bengal has crossed all limits.
TMC government has crossed all limits: PM Modi
PM Modi posted on Instagram and said, ‘The pain and sorrow expressed by the President, himself coming from the tribal community, has deeply saddened the hearts of the people of India. The TMC government of West Bengal has crossed all limits. His administration is responsible for this insult to the President. It is equally unfortunate that the West Bengal government is treating an important subject like Santhal culture so carelessly. The post of President is above politics and the dignity of this post should always be respected.
This is shameful and unprecedented. 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…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 7, 2026
There was a change in the President’s program
President Murmu inaugurated the ninth International Santhal Conference at Bidhannagar, Siliguri in Darjeeling district of West Bengal and stressed the need for education for Santhal children. Earlier his program was scheduled at some other place, but later the administration changed the already fixed place. The President expressed his displeasure regarding this.
President Draupadi Murmu said, ‘It would have been better if the conference had been organized at a pre-decided place because the place was bigger, so that more people could have reached there. I don’t know what was going on in the mind of the administration that they chose a place for the conference where Santhal people cannot go. I am very sad that the people here could not reach the conference because it was organized far away.
Mamata Banerjee did not arrive to receive the President
He said, ‘Perhaps the administration was hoping that no one would be able to come here and the President would go back. If the President goes somewhere then the Chief Minister and ministers should also come, but she (Mamata Banerjee) did not come. I am also a daughter of Bengal. Mamta didi is also my sister, my younger sister. I don’t know that she was angry with me, that’s why this happened.
