Cal HC adjourns hearing of Guv’s defamation suit against CM

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the defamation suit filed by Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee till Thursday.

The suit was heard before the Single Bench of Justice Krishna Rao. The plea comes in the aftermath of Banerjee claiming that she was informed that women do not feel safe visiting Raj Bhavan due to recent allegations of sexual harassment against the Governor by a former Raj Bhavan employee.

Bose has reportedly stated that those holding high offices such as chief minister should refrain from making “erroneous and slanderous” comments.

It was learnt that besides the Chief Minister, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh and the two newly-elected ruling party legislators — Sayantika Banerjee from Baranagar and Reyat Houssen Sarkar from Bhagawangola have been named in the suit.

Advocate Sanjay Basu, who appeared for Mamata Banerjee in a press statement on Wednesday stated that the whole move by the Governor seemed to be an attempt to “canvas” other political issues.

“We have come to know that a defamation suit has been filed against the CM and others over alleged statements by the CM that women feel unsafe at Raj Bhavan. Given recent incidents where women have approached law enforcement agencies with allegations concerning Raj Bhavan, it would be a fair justification to state the agony of women, more so when the CM herself is a woman,” read the press statement issued by Basu.

He also clarified that they did not receive any copies in this regard. “Though we haven’t received copies, the suit also seems to be an attempt to canvass other political issues by the Governor such as his refusal to let elected members take their oath before the Speaker in the garb of defamation. We will defend these allegations appropriately,” Basu said in his statement.

The Governor on Tuesday confirmed that he had filed a defamation case against Chief Minister Banerjee at the Calcutta High Court, and he would “treat her as an accused”.

Speaking to reporters in Siliguri, Bose had said: “She (Banerjee) is an accused now. I will treat her as an accused now as far as these things are concerned. As Chief Minister, there is a professional relationship. She is my constitutional colleague, and I will treat her accordingly. But as far as hurting my self-respect is concerned, she is an accused against whom I have filed a defamation suit.”

The Chief Minister made the remarks during a press conference at the State Secretariat last Thursday. Referring to the ongoing row over two newly elected TMC MLAs, Sayantika Banerjee and Rayat Hossain Sarkar, Banerjee had said: “Why should they go to Raj Bhavan? Why will he not come to the Assembly? They have complained to me that women are afraid to go to Raj Bhavan where such activities are going on.”

Meanwhile, the contractual woman employee at the Raj Bhavan who levelled sexual harassment allegations against Governor C V Ananda Bose approached the Supreme Court.

She reportedly approached the Division Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattachayya but the case was not heard there.