BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the discourtesy shown to President Droupadi Murmu by the TMC government during her recent visit to West Bengal.
In a letter to his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, Majhi said the manner in which the President was treated had caused ‘deep pain’ to people across the country and was inconsistent with India’s democratic traditions.
He urged Banerjee to reflect on the matter and convey regret to the President and the people of the country. “Such a gesture would help reaffirm our shared commitment to democratic norms and the dignity of constitutional offices,” Majhi added.
“India’s democratic traditions are built on mutual respect and dignity, where differences of opinion never become differences of heart. The manner in which the President, a respected tribal woman, was treated in West Bengal has caused deep pain to many across the country,” Majhi wrote.
The chief minister also expressed concern that the incident occurred just ahead of International Women’s Day, which made the episode even more disturbing. He said the absence of basic courtesies during the President’s visit, including changes in arrangements related to an event involving members of the tribal community, has been widely perceived as unfortunate and contrary to Constitutional norms. He further said the incident hurt the sentiments of millions of adivasis, backward classes and Dalits across the country and had cast an avoidable shadow on the image of West Bengal which he described as a land known for culture, civility and respect for democratic institutions.
“The Santhal community is a large community that lives across many parts of India and contributes significantly to the development of the nation. I myself being a member of this community feel extremely distressed over this incident,” he said.