Indian President Droupadi Murmu visited West Bengal to attend the 9th International Santhal Conference held in the Falakatta area of Siliguri. During her visit, she voiced frustration over the size of the venue, which she felt was too small to accommodate the large number of people from the Santhal community who were expected to attend. Murmu noted that the venue was insufficient even for 5,000 attendees, leading to a significant number of community members missing out on the event.

Following the conference, President Murmu attended another event at the Bidhannagar ground, where she expressed surprise at the ample space available. She highlighted that the Bidhannagar ground could easily accommodate millions of attendees, which raised questions about why the Santhal Conference could not have been held in such a larger space instead. This juxtaposition underscored her disappointment with the planning of the Santhal Conference.

The remarks made by President Murmu not only indicate a personal perspective on the event's organization but could also reflect broader political dynamics between the presidency and the West Bengal state government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The criticism may also spark discussions on the importance of better planning and venue selection for significant cultural events, especially geared towards important communities such as the Santhal people.