Why did BJP not allow me to travel to Rome, meet Pope: Mamata

Panaji, Oct 29 (IANS) On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Rome to attend the G-20 summit ahead of his visit to the Vatican, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the BJP-led Centre for not allowing her to visit the Vatican and meet Pope Francis last month.

"Ask BJP people why they did not allow me to go to Rome, Vatican? Why not? That day Congress did not say it was wrong. (It was) for an international peace conference," Banerjee said at a party function near Panaji.

"The Pope was there, the other important three four personalities were there and from Asia I was the only one to be invited. But the Central government did not give me the permission to go. The Italian government gave me special permission, but they (Indian government) did not give me permission," she also said, recalling the Central government's rejection of her permission for the global peace meet in Rome, where the Pope was in attendance.

Modi arrived in Rome on his five-day Europe visit, which includes the G-20 meet in Rome as well as a meeting with the Pope in Vatican city. Modi is also scheduled to meet heads of several European nations; the trip also includes a visit to the UK.