Mamata Banerjee denied permission to attend peace conference in Italy, TMC hits out at BJP

New Delhi, Sep 25: The Union Ministry of External Ministry has reportedly denied permission to Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to attend World Peace Conference scheduled to be held in October in Italy. The event is expected to have the participation of as many as 500 religious leaders and politicians across the world.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Pope Francis, Great Imam of Al-Azhar (Egypt) Ahmad al-Tayyib and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I are some of the religious and political leaders who have been invited to the two-day event.

Professor Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Community of Sant'Egidio, had earlier written a letter inviting the Bengal Chief Minister to attend the "peace" event to be held on 6 and 7 October. He had also congratulated Banerjee on her victory in the assembly election

"Allow me to tell you that I feel your commitment and your generous battles in favour of the weakest and most disadvantaged, very close to my sensitivity and to the work of the community of Sant'Egidio in Rome and in the world," India Today quoted Marco Impagliazzo as saying in the letter.

However, now a report on India Today claims that the Bengal CM has been denied permission to attend the event from a "political angle" stating "event is not commensurate in status for participation by the chief minister of a state".

Reacting to the development, TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya Dev tweeted, "Central government denied permission for Didi's Rome trip! Previously they've cancelled the permission of China trip too. We accepted that decision with keeping international relations and India's interests in mind. Now why Italy Modi ji? What is your problem with Bengal? Chi! [sic]"