“When Parliament is in process, a minister is making statements to divide Bengal. And now from different sources, different party members are giving different types of statements – to divide Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, and Bengal. We strongly condemn this attitude. To divide Bengal means to divide our country India. We don’t support this” Banerjee said.

This comes after Jharkhand BJP MP Nishikant Dubey proposed in the Parliament that certain parts of Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand be made into a Union Territory.

West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and the Minister of State for Education also recently said that he had submitted a proposal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking to incorporate North Bengal in the North East states.

Speaking to the media before leaving for Delhi, Banerjee said that the NITI Aayog asked to submit the written speech seven days before the meeting, following which the Budget was placed.

“Bengal and other opposition-ruled states were totally deprived in the Budget and were given step-motherly treatment,” the CM said, adding that “this discrimination and political bias” will not be tolerated.

Banerjee said that Bengal is facing “economic, geographical, and political blockade” while ministers and BJP leaders are conspiring to divide the state.

Stating that she will stay in the NITI Aayog meet and try to represent the state, Banerjee said, “If they allow me to record our voice, I will do so. Else, I will leave in protest.”

“As far as I know, Hemant (Soren) is also going to speak for his state,” the TMC chief said