A fresh political storm erupted in West Bengal on Monday after Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar was denied entry into the VVIP zone of Kolkata airport while attempting to see off PM Modi. The incident occurred just before PM Modi departed for Bihar after inaugurating the 16th Combined Commanders’ Conference at Fort William.
While state minister Sujit Bose was permitted to drive into the high-security enclosure, Majumdar was stopped by police and forced to walk. “On what authority does a state police officer bar a Union minister but allow a state minister?” Majumdar fumed, accusing the TMC government of political vendetta. He vowed to raise the issue with the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The TMC, however, mocked him, with senior leader Arup Chakraborty sneering: “Even Modi doesn’t consider him important. He’s a half-minister.” They argued only names cleared by the PMO were allowed.
The BJP countered sharply, asking why Bose’s name was cleared while Majumdar’s wasn’t, calling it selective enforcement of protocol.
