Treatment unacceptable: Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday said the treatment meted out to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a NITI Aayog meeting here was "unacceptable". The opposition party's scathing criticism of the government think tank came after Banerjee walked out of the 9th Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog, claiming she was unfairly stopped midway through her speech.

The Congress alleged the Niti Aayog has functioned as a "drumbeater" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was chairing the meeting, since it was set up 10 years ago. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Since it was established ten years ago, NITI Aayog has been an attached office of the PMO and has functioned as a drumbeater for the non-biological PM." It has not advanced the cause of cooperative federalism in any manner, he said.