President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday voiced rare and sharp displeasure over the last-minute change of venue for an event she was scheduled to attend in West Bengal, questioning the reasoning given by the state administration and expressing sadness that many members of the Santal community could not participate.
The President was addressing the International Santal Conference when she revealed that the original venue of the gathering had been altered by the authorities, reportedly on the grounds that the site was congested. Murmu, however, suggested that the explanation did not hold up when she later visited the location herself.
Speaking candidly about the episode, Murmu remarked that it appeared as though “someone does not want Santals to unite, progress, or become educated and strong.” She underlined the historic sacrifices made by the community for the nation and expressed concern that their contributions have often been overlooked.
#WATCH | Darjeeling, West Bengal | President Droupadi Murmu says, "Today was the International Santal Conference. When I came here after attending it, I realised it would have been better if it had been held here, because the area is so vast… I don't know what went through the… pic.twitter.com/zMYyvDo0Y2
— ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2026
After the conference, the President travelled to the initially planned venue and pointed out what she described as a glaring contradiction in the administration’s claim. Observing the size of the field, she said it was large enough to accommodate as many as five lakh people, raising questions about why the event had been shifted elsewhere.
Murmu said the sudden change had left her deeply saddened, particularly because it prevented many Santal community members from attending. She also noted that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not meet her during the visit, a departure from the customary protocol when the President travels to a state.
In an emotional reflection, Murmu said she considers herself “a daughter of Bengal” and referred to Banerjee as her “younger sister”, adding that she did not know whether the Chief Minister was upset with her, which might have led to the situation.
During her address at the ninth International Santal Conference, held in Bidhannagar in Siliguri, Murmu also highlighted the need to correct historical omissions related to the Santal community. She said the contributions of Santal heroes to India’s freedom struggle had not received the recognition they deserved and suggested that several prominent names were “not deliberately included in history.”
The President further stressed that education remains critical for the empowerment and progress of Santal children and the wider tribal community.
PM Modi also weighed in on the controversy, strongly criticising the handling of the event by the West Bengal government and calling the episode “shameful and unprecedented.”
In a post on X, Modi said that people who believe in democracy and the empowerment of tribal communities would feel deeply disheartened by the developments surrounding the President’s visit. He noted that the anguish expressed by President Droupadi Murmu, who herself comes from a tribal community, had saddened people across the country.
This is shameful and unprecedented. Everyone who believes in democracy and the empowerment of tribal communities is disheartened.
The pain and anguish expressed by Rashtrapati Ji, who herself hails from a tribal community, has caused immense sadness in the minds of the people… https://t.co/XGzwMCMFrT— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 7, 2026
The Prime Minister said the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal had “crossed all limits”, adding that the state administration was responsible for what he described as an insult to the office of the President.
Modi further expressed concern that a subject as important as Santal culture had been treated casually by the state government. Emphasising the constitutional importance of the presidency, he said the office of the President is above politics and its sanctity must always be respected.
He concluded by expressing hope that “better sense prevails” within the West Bengal government and the ruling party in the state.
Reacting to Murmu’s remarks, Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT department, criticised the Trinamool Congress government in the state. He said that any disregard for the dignity of the President’s office reflected not just administrative lapses but a breakdown of constitutional propriety and governance.
