Left after waiting for Trinamool delegation for over 2 hours: Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan

In wake of the drama at the Krishi Bhawan on Tuesday evening as a Trinamool Congress delegation, led by party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, staged a sit-in alleging that Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti had not met them despite an appointment, she said that she had waited two and a half hours for them.

Sharing a video of her sitting in her office on X, the Union Minister for Rural Development said that the Trinamool delegation, comprising party MPs and West Bengal ministers, was supposed to come at 6 p.m. but did not reach then.

She had only left the ministry at 8.30 p.m. after waiting for them for two and a half hours, she said, calling their conduct "shameful".

The Union Minister also accused the Trinamool leaders of playing politics, alleging that they had no intention of meeting her over their grievances. 

As per the Trinamool, its MPs Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien were allegedly detained by Delhi Police as they sat on dharna at the Krishi Bhawan here when denied a meeting by Minister of State for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Saket Gokhale said: "TMC MPs and Bengal Government Ministers led by Abhishek Banerjee have just now been manhandled and mercilessly dragged from the Mininstry of Rural Development by Delhi Police and detained."

"After inviting us and keeping us waiting for three hours, MoS Sadhvi Niranjan quietly slipped out of her office without a meeting. When we protested, Delhi Police, CISF, and RAF manhandled the entire delegation and everyone is now under detention. What sort of fear is this (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (Union Home Minister Amit) Shah?" Gokhale said.