Guv behaving worse than BJP mouthpiece: Mamata
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was actually acting worse than a mouthpiece of BJP, disrespecting his constitutional post.
"He says that he does not even care about the Prime Minister and the Home Ministry," said Banerjee adding that being a Governor he cannot speak like a member of a political party. He has termed the death of BJP MLA from Hemtabad Debendranath Roy as a political murder before the investigating agency has come to a conclusion.
"Either he has to prove that it was a murder or else he has no right to be in his chair," the Chief Minister said.
Banerjee brushed aside all allegations of the Governor of not maintaining proper communication with the Raj Bhavan. Showing a set of replies given to his letters, Banerjee said at Nabanna: "It seems we are working as servants. He keeps sending us letters on different issues and replies have been given to all. I personally have spoken to him four times on Wednesday. In such a critical time, should we continue to give replies to his questions or work to tackle COVID-19, aftermath of cyclone Amphan and other issues."
I had heard that it was said that there would be something worse if the Vice-Chancellors of the state-run universities did not attend the Governor's, who is also the chancellor of state universities, virtual meeting. "I would like to assure all VCs that there is nothing to worry as the people of Bengal will raise their voice if any vindictive step is taken against them. We respect all of them and they must continue to work as they are doing," Banerjee said adding that the act in this regard was signed by the then Governor Keshari Nath Triapthi and it became a law in 2019. Then what is the problem ? Let law take its own course.
A few hours ahead of the Chief Minister's Press conference, Dhankhar addressed the media saying that education in the state is politically caged. "I find there is tightening of this political cage in the education scenario in West Bengal," he said. He asserted that he will seek an explanation from the VCs for their absence.
Banerjee also attacked the Centre over a series of issues on Thursday. The Higher Education department earlier in the day in a letter addressed to the officer on special duty of Governor Dhankhar had reiterated
that the latter is not authorised to call any meeting of
Vice-Chancellors of state universities.
The letter by the Special Secretary of the department maintained that the rules mandate "every communication proposed to be made by the chancellor to any state-aided university will have to be routed through the higher education department."
