Kolkata, September 4
In a sudden and unexpected development, Mamata Banerjee indicated on Sunday that she would not be travelling to Dhaka with the PM ‘in protest’. Objecting to a river-water sharing treaty likely to be signed between the two countries, Banerjee said that it would adversely affect the interests of North Bengal and she would not be a party to it.

The Prime Minister planned to travel to Dhaka on Tuesday with as many as five Chief Ministers, including Banerjee. Chief Ministers of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram are also expected to be part of the delegation.

The West Bengal Chief Minister’s reservations had earlier been conveyed to the Union Cabinet. National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon flew to Kolkata to smoothen the ruffled feathers. But the mission failed to cut any ice and on Saturday Banerjee apparently instructed the Chief Secretary to inform the PMO of her decision and personally communicated it to the Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh when he called on her.

Frantic efforts were being made till late Sunday evening to make her change her mind. The Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is learnt to have told her that her absence would send a wrong signal and jeopardise the visit. But a defiant Mamata appeared to have dug her heels. The interests of the state and the people were far more important to her, she asserted.