West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also in charge of the home department, will not attend the two-day meeting of home ministers of states convened by the Centre at Surajkund in Haryana, a senior official has said.
The state government will not send Home Secretary B P Gopalika or Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Malviya but will assign Additional Director General (home guard) Niraj Kumar Singh to attend the 'Chintan Shivir' from Thursday, he said.
West Bengal Resident Commissioner in New Delhi, Ram Das Meena, will also attend the meeting, the official.
"This is festival time and there are several functions lined up. Bhai Phota (Bhai Dooj) will take place on Thursday and 'Chhat Puja' will take place soon. It will not be possible for the chief minister to leave the state. Our home secretary and DGP will not be participating in the Chintan Shivir for the same reason as that of the chief minister," the official told PTI.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had sent an invitation to Banerjee last month to participate in the meeting, sources in the government said.
Shah is scheduled to meet home ministers of all states during the meeting and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address them on the concluding day on October 28.
