The Hindu : Front Page : Pranab calls on Mamata

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Sunday, Aug 15, 2010
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Pranab calls on Mamata

Raktima Bose

Kolkata: Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday called on Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at her residence here, to enquire after her health.

He rubbished media reports that he had come on a ‘specific assignment.' The meeting lasted an hour.

Calling it a “visit due to personal compulsions,” Mr. Mukherjee rebuffed media reports that he had been sent as an envoy of the Prime Minister or the Congress high command for asking Ms. Banerjee to issue a clarification on her statements made at the Lalgarh rally on August 9.

Ms. Banerjee has been keeping indoors since then. It is learnt that she has been unwell after a truck collided with her convoy as it was returning from the rally.

“Ms. Banerjee is not keeping well and we are all anxious about her health. Since there was no Parliament today [Saturday], I decided to visit her,” Mr. Mukherjee told journalists after the meeting.

Hoping that the Railway Minister would get well soon and rejoin the monsoon session, Mr. Mukherjee said that he had asked his Cabinet colleague to take doctor's advice before joining work.

Declining to take questions, Mr. Mukherjee came down heavily on a section of the media for circulating reports which suggested that he would be showing Ms. Banerjee a ‘red card' for her statements made regarding Maoist leader Azad.

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