"Were sure PM couldn't do justice, that's why we decided to boycott": Pawan Khera on NITI Aayog meet

Khera said, "When PM Modi was talking about double-engine government throughout the election campaign, we thought he would stop after elections but even in the budget, they opened their treasury for the two states on which they are dependent, be it Nitish Kumar's party or N Chandrababu Naidu's party. Rajasthan and Maharashtra were punished because BJP did not get enough seats in these two states."

"We were sure that the Prime Minister with such a mentality could not do justice and this is why we decided to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting. They cannot do justice to the elected Chief Ministers of the state. Even Mamata Banerjee who went to the meeting was not allowed to speak, her mic was turned off," he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was "insulted" after she alleged that she was stopped from speaking after five minutes at the NITI Aayog meeting.

"The way the budget is made, NITI Aayog works accordingly. Only BJP-ruled states are being given money and schemes. That's why Stalin (Tamil Nadu CM), Telangana and Himachal Pradesh CMs boycotted the meeting," Sanjay Raut said while addressing reporters in Mumbai on Sunday.

"Mamata Banerjee attended the meeting but she was not allowed to speak. The West Bengal CM was insulted, her microphone was switched off, this doesn't suit democracy," he added.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Mamata Banerjee's claim was "baseless," and that she is making efforts to keep the leaders of the INDIA bloc happy.

After leaving the Niti Aayog meeting on Saturday chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi midway, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Centre of "insulting Bengal" by interrupting her speech after five minutes, claiming it was a deliberate attempt to "malign the opposition." (ANI)