Derek O’Brien, a member of the Trinamool Congress, addressed a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday to voice his concern over a statement made by BJP lawmaker Suvendu Adhikari. The meeting between Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinghe and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Dubai Airport was mentioned in the post.
The TMC leader said in the letter that Suvendu Adhikari ‘ridiculed’ Mamata Banerjee’s conversation with the president of Sri Lanka in a social media post. He said that Adhikari had abused his authority as an MLA to attempt to willfully obstruct the West Bengal and the Government of Sri Lanka’s economic cooperation.
“These remarks are an effort to sow conflict, which is contrary to the spirit of collaboration and growth. Such remarks, expressed by a political figure, are not consistent with the ideals of respect, responsibility, and diplomacy that guide our country, the president wrote.
Derek said that Adhikari’s statements on the West Bengal economy are completely unfounded. He praised Banerjee’s leadership and said that Adhirkari’s comments were an intentional effort to undermine the state’s rise as a desirable location for FDI.
The TMC leader insisted that Adhikari be censured by the Ministry of External Affairs for his “vicious ploy” to sour ties between the State of West Bengal and the Republic of Sri Lanka.
A surprising meeting between Banerjee and Wickremesinghe occurred on a Wednesday at Dubai International Airport when she was on a 12-day official trip to Dubai and Spain. Following their conversation, Banerjee sent him an invitation to the November 2023 Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS).
