Badal invites Mamata to his swearing-in ceremony

Kolkata: At a time when non-Congress chief ministers have come together on some issues, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has invited his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee to his swearing in ceremony on March 14.

"Badal telephoned Banerjee on Friday and invited her to attend his swearing-in as chief minister at Chandigarh," state secretariat sources here said.

Mamata and other non Congress chief ministers had come together in opposing the Centre's move to set up the National Counter Terrorism Centre alleging it would affect the federal structure of the country.

The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP coalition retained power in Punjab in the recent assembly election in the state.