Source: File photos, Internet
Kolkata 18 November: The face-off between chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar reached its crescendo on Monday in the Parliament with the Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy claiming that if Governor wanted to do politics then he would have to leave Raj Bhavan.
On the other hand, Dhankhar, while addressing a press conference in Siliguri on Monday, targeted Miss Mamata Banerjee’s claim of him running after holding a press conference at Siliguri in reply to chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s remark that he was running a parallel government, saying that if he was indeed running a parallel government then how come there was large cut outs of chief minister on every corner of the road while he was travelling from airport to circuit house. If he was running a parallel government then his cut outs should be placed everywhere.
Dhankhar claimed : “Although 50 days have passed , but chief secretary is yet to find any to meet with me. How come I am running a parallel government.”
Dhankhar said that during his visit to cyclone affected districts of North and South 24 Parganas, when he intimated the district magistrates to meet with him, they denied and said that for holding any meeting they needed to take permission of the state government and the latter has not authorised them to meet with the Governor for holding any meeting.
On Sunday, a delegation of Trinamool Congress led by Sudip Bandhyopadhyay, Derek O Brien has sent a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah requesting him that a session should be allowed in the Parliament regarding the roles of the Governors and it should be discussed in the floor of the House.
According to Bandhyopadhyay, Governor of West Bengal is running a parallel administration and everytime he is visiting various districts, without intimating the state government .
On Monday, Dhankhar addressed the issue and said: “Wherever I go, I let the state government know much early as they need to make the arrangements from security to stay. I am well aware of my constitutional obligations and duties and I am duty-bound towards the people of Bengal .”
Sukendu Roy said: “Governor of West Bengal is acting as an agent of Centre.” Replying to that the governor said: “Yes I am an agent of the Central government and the Governor’s role is to act as a facilitator for both the state and Center.”
He further stated that the governor is answerable to chief minister and the chief minister had made any comment regarding his role.
“Although I have wrote several letters to chief minister, but as Governor it’s not my job to share with the media what I wrote on the letter, but chief minister has not responded to any letter,” Dhankhar added.
“I have been humiliated by the TMC ministers several times. I have been pained at hearing that I am a tourist in this state, and if I want to complain regarding any issues, I need to log on to ‘Didi Ke Bolo’ and I have to register my complaint.” Dhankhar added.
Dhankhar also said that he attend a function on 20 November and to that end he requested the state government for a helicopter, failing to provide which he will have to travel by road.
The face-off between Governor of West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar and Trinamool Congress continued with the latter cancelling Dhankar’s request for helicopter to travel to Farakka in Murshidabad for attending the silver jubilee celebration at Professor Syed Nurul Hasan College.
According to the statement issued by the Governor’s office on Thursday evening, the state government rejected the approval for the requisition of the helicopter. The letter was sent to the chief secretary and after receiving no response from chief secreatary’s office the same letter was sent to the chief minister.
Dhankhar was the chief guest of the programme and no positive reply was received from the state government, Dhankhar tweeted that he had to leave at 5 a.m. from Raj Bhavan to attend the programme.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress boycotted the event citing that as the Governor is trying to politicse the issue they have deliberately decided to give the event a miss.
Chandrima Bhattacharya, minister of state for health and family welfare said: “We need to know why he needed a helicopter to attend a programme of a college. He is disrespecting the chair of the governor and he is acting as BJP’s cadre . Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took the helicopter a few days back as she wanted an aerial view of the cyclone-affected areas”.
Banerjee’s reaction after Dhankhar ‘s request for a helicopter
On Thursday chief minister Mamata Banerjee in a public statement without naming Dhankhar, said: “There are some people who are acting as BJP’s mouth-piece. They are trying to run a parallel administration. Both the state and Central governments are elected governments and everybody should respect each other, and should allow state government to work. She also said that it was hurting the federal structure of the state.
Face off started just after the end of the Durga Puja carnival in October
It may be mentioned that previously, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar lashed out at the state government after the Durga Puja carnival claiming that he was being “blacked out” at a government programme organised to celebrate Durga idol immersion. After the convocation ceremony at Visva Bharati University , Dhankhar went to Singur in Hooghly, during his return and spoke with the people of the locality to know their condition.
This has irked the state government and during that time Governor said his mind wants to stay in Singur and Nandigram for a few days and enjoy the hospitality of the people of that area. Other than this, Dhankar had irked the state given government by voluntarily coming to the aide of Babul Supriyo who was geared in JU and blamed the state government for the entire impasse at JU.