Kolkata: The West Bengal BJP leadership Wednesday hit out at the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for its reservations over entrusting the CRPF with the security of Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. The party alleged that the West Bengal government was not keen on providing adequate police protection to Dhankar.
The Ministry of Home Affairs last week issued an order directing the CRPF to take charge of Jagdeep Dhankhar’s security, which will be valid in all parts of the country.
The West Bengal government had, in a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) dated October 21, sought to know why it was not consulted before the decision was taken to hand over the governor’s security to the CRPF.
“The Mamata Banerjee-led government is opposing it (CRPF security to governor). But, she herself was provided security by the Railways during her tenure as railway minister. Later, when she became chief minister, some jawans of the RPF were still deployed for her security,” West Bengal BJP unit’s president Dilip Ghosh told reporters.
“If the state government did not have any problem to it, then what is the issue now if the governor is provided security by the central government,” Ghosh added.
Another senior BJP leader Sayantan Basu said the entire country was aware of the continuing violence in Bengal, and how the state ‘failed’ to provide security to a Union Minister (Babul Supriyo).
“Will the state government take responsibility if the governor again faces a similar situation like the September 19 incident at Jadavpur University,” Basu asked.
Sources in Jagdeep Dhankar’s office said a communication was sent to the state government to upgrade his security from Z to Z+ category, after his vehicle was blocked at Jadavpur University by students when he had gone there to ‘rescue’ Babul Supriyo in September.
The opposition CPI(M) and the Congress are of the view that the post of the governor should be respected.
“There can be differences with the governor. But, the post and the chair has to be respected. The kind of statements made by TMC leaders (against Dhankar) is completely unacceptable,” state Congress president Somen Mitra said.
Dhankhar, who took oath July 30 as the governor of West Bengal, has been at loggerheads with the state government over several issues.
PTI