Kolkata: Expressing solidarity with the ruling DMK over its initiatives against the “undemocratic functioning” of Governors in non-BJP states, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin on Wednesday evening and suggested that chief ministers of all opposition-ruled states should meet to decide the next course of action.
“Hon WB CM @MamataOfficial spoke to me over phone to express her solidarity & admiration for our initiatives against the undemocratic functioning of Governors in non-BJP ruled states & suggested that all the Opposition CMs meet to decide the next course of action,” Stalin said in a tweet.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly had recently adopted a resolution seeking to fix a timeframe for Governors to give their nod to state Bills and Stalin had written to CMs of non-BJP dispensations to do the same in their respective states.
In his letter, Stalin claimed that Indian democracy today “stands at crossroads” and that “we are increasingly witnessing the fading away of cooperative federalism”.
Banerjee happens to be the third Chief Minister to speak on the issue with Stalin with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan already discussing the matter with him.
Banerjee’s telephonic conversation with the DMK chief came a few hours after she said that the Opposition are all maintaining relations with each other and that unity will come like a tornado before the elections.
Banerjee’s response came in reply to a poser about the intensifying efforts by Opposition parties to team up against the BJP ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.
Banerjee, who is also the chairperson of Trinamool Congress, claimed that the BJP will not be able to get more than 200 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
State Education minister Bratya Basu has been critical regarding Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose’s recent survey visits to different state universities.
“The manner in which the Governor is roaming around like a white elephant to different universities is not realistic, proper or as per the norms. We never showed any arrogance towards him. We want to cooperate with him. But he is misusing his powers and going beyond his limits again and again,” Basu had said a few days back.
He also questioned the Governor’s authority to sanction funds for the universities claiming that the funds announced by the latter come from the state exchequer. “How can he make such announcements without consulting the Education department?” he questioned.