New Delhi, NFAPost: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the eighth governing council meeting of Niti Aayog at the new Convention Centre in New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan on Saturday. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized the chief ministers who boycotted the meeting, labeling their actions as “unfortunate,” “irresponsible,” and “anti-people.”
The agenda of the meeting included discussions on health, skill development, women empowerment, and infrastructure development, with the aim of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047.
Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, in a press conference in Delhi, expressed disappointment with the opposition chief ministers who chose not to attend the Niti Aayog meeting. He described their decision as “totally irresponsible” and contrary to the public interest and the welfare of their respective states’ citizens.
Eight chief ministers, namely Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi), Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana), MK Stalin (Tamil Nadu), Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), and Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), decided to boycott the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prasad questioned their absence, stating, “Why are they not coming to attend the meeting where 100 issues are to be discussed? If such a large number of chief ministers do not participate, they are not bringing the voice of their states.”
He emphasized the significance of Niti Aayog as a crucial body responsible for shaping the policy framework and development roadmap of the country. Prasad criticized the chief ministers for failing to present the concerns of their people at the council meeting, asserting that they were causing harm to the citizens of their respective states.
The BJP leader further asked, “How far will you go in opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi?” and addressed the press at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.
Prasad highlighted the positive outcomes resulting from the decisions taken in the previous seven Niti Aayog meetings. He stressed the importance of chief ministers actively participating in the council meetings to represent the interests of their states.
The eighth governing council meeting of Niti Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was held at the new Convention Centre in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The council comprises chief ministers of states, lieutenant governors of union territories, and various Union ministers, among others.
The council meeting was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme for this meeting, conducted at the new Convention Centre in Pragati Maidan, Delhi, was “Viksit Bharat @ 2047: Role of Team India.”
According to a statement from Niti Aayog, eight prominent themes were discussed during the day-long meeting, including Viksit Bharat, Thrust on MSMEs, Infrastructure and Investments, Minimizing Compliances, Women Empowerment, Health and Nutrition, Skill Development, and Gati Shakti for area development and social infrastructure.
