A political confrontation broke out after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Trinamool Congress government of insulting President Droupadi Murmu during her visit to West Bengal, triggering a sharp response from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
BY PC Bureau
March 8, 2026: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of showing “grave disrespect” to President Droupadi Murmu during her recent visit to the state, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pushed back, displaying a photograph from a 2024 ceremony that she claimed illustrated how the Prime Minister himself had failed to observe protocol toward the President.
The image, shown during Banerjee’s protest in central Kolkata, is from a March 2024 ceremony in which President Murmu conferred the Bharat Ratna on veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani. In the photograph, Murmu is seen standing while presenting the award, while Modi is seated beside Advani. Banerjee cited the image to counter the Prime Minister’s allegations and accuse the BJP of double standards.
The exchange marks the latest escalation in a political controversy that began after the President’s remarks at a tribal community event in north Bengal. The issue has since spiralled into a wider political clash between the BJP-led Centre and the ruling TMC ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections.
Banerjee has repeatedly rejected accusations that her government disrespected the President and accused the BJP of politicising the matter. Responding to criticism from the Prime Minister, she said the allegations were unfounded and linked them to the ongoing political battle over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
“Now you are saying I have humiliated the PM. How can I go there? I am sitting at a dharna and I am fighting for all,” Banerjee said, referring to her ongoing protest.
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee responds to the Prime Minister by sharing a photograph from the 2024 Bharat Ratna ceremony for LK Advani, questioning the selective outrage over “protocol”.
In the picture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen seated while President Droupadi Murmu is… pic.twitter.com/rAq5DBJy3v
— Abhishek Banerjee Fans (@ABFansClub) March 8, 2026
She then displayed the photograph from the award ceremony while addressing supporters. “This is specially for the Prime Minister. You will not respect a tribal leader and the President of India. The President is standing and the PM is sitting,” Banerjee said, adding that her party respected the constitutional office. “We have full respect for the chair of the President and the Constitution of India, which we consider our mother. Do not blame us.”
The chief minister also accused the Prime Minister of targeting the state for political gain during election periods. “Whenever elections come, the Prime Minister attacks Bengal for votes,” she said.
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President Flags Protocol Concerns
The controversy began on Saturday when President Murmu, during a visit to north Bengal, publicly raised concerns about the arrangements for the 9th International Santal Conference held near Bagdogra.
Speaking at the event, the President questioned the relatively low attendance and the decision to move the venue. She also pointed to the absence of Banerjee and several state ministers during her visit.
“Generally, when the President is coming, the chief minister should welcome her and other ministers should be present. But she did not come,” Murmu said.
She also suggested that the gathering might have attracted a larger audience had it been held at the originally planned location. “Had the programme been held there, it would have been better. I do not know why the state administration did not permit the meeting there,” she said.
Murmu also struck a conciliatory tone, describing Banerjee as “like a younger sister” and saying she considered herself “a daughter of Bengal.”
Mamata Banerjee’s Response
Responding to the President’s remarks, Banerjee accused the BJP of using the issue to attack her government. She also suggested that Murmu’s comments may have been influenced by political advice from the ruling party at the Centre.
Banerjee further questioned why the President had not spoken out about alleged atrocities against tribal communities in states such as Manipur and Chhattisgarh.
The chief minister maintained that the event attended by the President had not been organised by the state government. According to Banerjee, the state administration was represented by Gautam Deb, the mayor of Siliguri.
She also said the state government had not been fully informed about the details of the programme by the private organisers. Banerjee argued that logistical issues—such as garbage at the venue, problems with the green room, and the absence of women’s toilets—should be addressed by the organisers and the Airports Authority of India, since the event was held on land under its jurisdiction.
The chief minister went on to accuse the BJP of “disrespecting and misusing the highest constitutional office for its own party agenda,” calling the situation “most unfortunate.”
Modi Calls Incident ‘Grave Insult’
Speaking at an event in Delhi to mark International Women’s Day, Prime Minister Modi strongly criticised the West Bengal government’s handling of the President’s visit.
“Today, as the nation celebrates International Women’s Day, it is deeply concerning that just yesterday the TMC government in West Bengal demonstrated a grave insult towards the honourable President of India,” he said.
Modi said the incident reflected both administrative mismanagement and a broader disregard for constitutional norms. He added that the episode had insulted not only the President but also women and members of the tribal community.
“The enlightened people of West Bengal will never forgive TMC for insulting a woman, insulting a tribal, and insulting the honourable President of the country,” the Prime Minister said.
Amid the growing political storm, the central government has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal administration regarding the alleged protocol lapses during President Murmu’s visit.
The episode has further sharpened tensions between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress, with both sides trading accusations as political temperatures rise ahead of the next round of elections in the state.
