West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday rebuked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for objecting to her comments about providing shelter to refugees from violence-hit Bangladesh.
Banerjee defended her comments, asserting that she is well-versed with the “federal structure” and suggested the MEA should focus on learning from the system rather than criticising her.
“I know the federal structure very well. I was an MP seven times, I was a Union minister twice. I know the MEA policy better than anyone else. They shouldn’t teach me a lesson; they should learn from the system instead,” West Bengal CM stated in response to MEA.
Banerjee’s comments
During an event in Kolkata on Sunday, Banerjee said that she would keep West Bengal’s door open to people in distress from Bangladesh and offer them shelter amid violent clashes in the country over job quotas.
“I should not be speaking on the affairs of Bangladesh since that is a sovereign nation… But I can tell you this, if helpless people come knocking on the doors of Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter,” she stated, reaffirming her commitment to sheltering Bangladeshi refugees under United Nations (UN) resolutions.
MEA’s response
In response, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed disapproval, stating that such matters involving relations with foreign countries, fall solely under the central government’s jurisdiction.
“I can confirm that we have received such a communication from the Bangladesh side. It is essentially on the lines described in the reports,” Jaiswal commented during a media briefing.
“I would underline that under the Seventh schedule — List one — Union List — item 10 of our Constitution, the conduct of foreign affairs and all matters which bring the Union into relation with any foreign country, are the sole prerogative of the Union government,” he emphasised.
Bangladesh has been reeling under deadly clashes with protesting students demanding the Sheikh Hasina-led government to scrap a controversial job quota system. Over 100 people were killed in the clashes that began weeks ago.
(With inputs from PTI)
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