Source: File Photo - Internet
Kolkata 4 Dec: The slugfest between Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and West Bengal government has reached to such an extent that not only it disrupted the proceedings of the West Bengal Assembly, but also Dhankhar was not welcomed at the Senate meeting of Calcutta University by Vice Chancellor.
On Tuesday West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandhyopadhyay was forced to adjourn the Assembly session for Wednesday and Thursday as around five important bills are still awaiting the Governor’s approval. Several bills including the West Bengal State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Bill 2019, West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill 2019, West Bengal Lifts, Escalators, Travelators Bill 2019, West Bengal Municipal Amendment Bill 2019, The Hindi University West Bengal Bill 2019, are scheduled to be placed on both the days, but they are yet to get the nod of the Governor.
In the midst of the adjournment Governor has decided to visit Assembly on Thursday around 10 am .
However Governor has sharply reacted and tweeted that the Governor’s office is not a rubber stamp office.
Dhankhar tweeted: “As the Governor I follow the script and tune of the Constitution and cannot take a call blindly. I am neither a rubber-stamp nor a post office. I am obligated to scrutinise the bills in the light of the Constitution and act without delay. I am concerned at delay by government on this.”
This is Jagdeep Dhankhar’s tweet
In a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan it’s mentioned that the Governor is yet to clear the proposal as he has already informed the senior officials of the state government department to brief him about the Bill, but they are yet to do that.
Around 1.30 pm on Wednesday, when Dhankhar went inside the University campus, there was no officials present on the campus to welcome him and accused the state government of politicising the educational institutions in the state.
Dhankhar said: “On 28 November , CU authorities requested me to attend a meeting of the Senate of CU.” He warmly accepted the offer, but yesterday the Governor’s office has received an intimation that the meeting was called off due to unavoidable circumstances. “After receiving the letter, I came directly to CU and saw that no officers especially VC, Registrar, pro-VC was present at the CU. It’s a policy paralysis that West Bengal government is indulging in. I with folded hands request the government not to politicise the educational institutions.”
He further said that he didn’t see it anywhere in the world that a government department has directed the VC not to adhere to the directory of the Chancellor, who is the head of the university, and has the authority to take disciplinary action against the VC.
Dhankhar said that he had also intimated the VC that he will visit the university at 2 p.m. “If I am wrong, hang me. But when I reached, there was no one to receive me. I don’t like to be received but I have to protect an office. Still, I chose to come upstairs and found that the rooms of the VC office were locked,” he said. “Where are we heading?
Governor and West Bengal government loggerhead in the past
This, however, is not the first time that the Governor had a fall out with the government. In fact the tiff between Dhankar and TMC has become the talk of the town. Earlier, Dhankhar invited criticism of the CM by stepping in to protect Babul Supriyo when he was gheraoed by the agitating students at JU. He had also alleged that the state government did not accord him proper respect during the Durga Puja carnival and gave him a corner seat. He also called out on the state government for refusing to allot him a chopper to go to Siliguri for a meeting and time and he has blamed TMC for the deteriorating law and order in the state and also for disrespecting the governor’s chair. Mamata Banerjee on the other hand has always mentioned that Dhankhar has been planted by the BJP to create chaos in the state and politicise everything.