West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a bly worded letter to NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Suman K. Bery, expressing her sharp displeasure. She cited the depiction of her state as Bihar in a report as a serious error and demanded an apology, along with immediate corrections. Mamata made the entire matter public by sharing a copy of the erroneous map and letter on the social media platform 'X'.
Mamata Banerjee stated that the map in the 'Summary Report for the State of West Bengal' published on the NITI Aayog website incorrectly showed the area of Bihar as West Bengal, calling it a major oversight. She considered it an insult to the states, undermining the credibility of NITI Aayog. Mamata emphasized that this error questions the authenticity and quality of NITI Aayog's reports, as the general public and policymakers rely on the institution's reports.
Growing Political Tension Between State and Center
This controversy is also politically significant, as it reflects the growing tension between West Bengal and the central government. Mamata Banerjee clarified that she will fully protect the dignity and identity of her state and that such errors will not be tolerated.
TMC MP Slams the Central Government
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale also condemned the central government on 'X' regarding this matter. He said it was shameful that the Government of India was unable to correctly identify West Bengal on the map. Gokhale questioned this kind of negligence, despite the presence of 12 MPs from Bengal and two Union Ministers from the BJP, calling it a major level of neglect from the center.
