West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has complained that the Mamata Banerjee government is pulling the purse strings for the Raj Bhavan expenses so tight that he may not be able to offer biscuits with tea to the media at the next press meet.
Mr Dhankar said he had asked for a fund of Rs 30 to 40 lakh beyond the budgetary allocation for the Raj Bhavan. But the home secretary wrote back denying the funds, he said, citing constraints because of the coronavirus pandemic and Cyclone Amphan to “a governor who is a teetotaler and a vegetarian.”
“Kya mazak ho raha hai (What is this joke),” the governor said switching briefly during his press meet Monday afternoon. “Free distribution of money but not even Rs 30 lakh for Raj Bhavan!”
A scathing attack against the Chief Minister came to the rescue on behalf of the state’s Director General of Police as it came to the rescue. Earlier this month, the governor wrote a letter to DGP Virendra seeking clarification on some law and order issues and asked him to come and meet him.
Mr. Dhankhar seems upset that the DGP did not show the three different dates assigned to him and instead sent a brief written reply to the Governor. The chief minister soon wrote a 9-page letter to the governor, in which he questioned the authority of his government and the DGP on the tone of his letter and the right to seek information directly from the tenor.
“The Chief Minister gave time to sanctify the corridors of power,” said Mr. Dhankhar, targeting both the Chief Minister and the top police officer. Accusing the police of being a “threat rather than a defender of human rights”, the governor said the government is “now working on police crutches” and that the police are “in service and in crawl mode”.
“Increasing electronic surveillance” turned Bengal into a “face time state”, Mr. Dhankhar said, adding that people in the state were wary of making a general phone call out of fear of being tapped.
“Bengal now has all the nets of the police state,” he said.
This is not the first anger made by the Governor against the Government of Bengal. But he also issued a warning stating that “they may have to look at Article 154 (1) of the Constitution” which states: “The executive power of the state shall be vested in the governor and exercised directly or directly by him.” Subordinate to them through the authorities as per this constitution. “
Senior MP of the Trinamool Congress, Saugata Roy said that the governor was moving ahead of his constitutional position and insulting the state with his threats.
“The governor is only trying to strengthen the hands of the Center against the state,” he said, “The governor is violating every constitutional norm.”
Mr. Dhankhar said, “If anyone feels that the Governor’s office is a decorative, dilapidated, rubber stamp post office, it is not so. This office has sufficient power to preserve the Constitution.”
