Kolkata: In a fresh face off with the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government and the Raj Bhavan, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar accused it of ‘unconstitutional behaviour’ with him. He also wondered whether some ‘sort of censorship’ is in place in West Bengal as district officials have refused to meet him.
Jadeep Dhankhar said Tuesday that the district officials had told him that government permission is needed to attend meetings with him. They said that since most of the senior officials are presently in North Bengal where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is on an administrative tour the meeting cannot take place. Dhankar termed this refusal as ‘unconstitutional’.
Dhankar had last week expressed his wish to hold meetings with District Magistrates, bureaucrats and elected representatives of North and South 24 Parganas districts, a tour of which he began Tuesday.
The office of the governor had Monday evening received letters from two district magistrates stating that the officials would not be able to attend his meetings as they will be busy with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s ongoing tour of north Bengal, Raj Bhavan sources said.
“I am astonished to receive the letters from the district officials in which they have expressed their inability to attend the meetings, that too four days after my intimation. I do not know whether some sort of censorship is in place in West Bengal,” Dhankar told this agency over phone. “Despite this I will continue my tour of the districts,” he added.
Later while speaking to reporters, Dhankhar wondered whether the West Bengal government goes on a holiday when the chief minister is on a district tour.
“Is it appropriate that whenever the governor wants to meet someone there has to be censorship, an approval from the state government? I am not subordinate to the state government. I find it unconstitutional,” Dhankhar asserted.
The TMC leadership, however, declined to comment on the issue. Reacting to the development, BJP national general secretary, Kailash Vijayvargia said the way the governor is being ‘insulted’ by the West Bengal government is ‘unprecedented’ in the entire country.
Dhankhar has been at loggerheads with the state government over several issues – ranging from his seating at the Durga Puja carnival to comments on his security.
PTI
