Guv wants to add lines to state Budget address, sparks row

Kolkata: Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar triggered a fresh controversy on the eve of the start of the Budget Session in the Assembly on Thursday as he said that he would like to incorporate a few lines to his speech given by the state government.

As per norms, the Governor reads out the speech prepared by the state government during the Budget Session.

While attending a programme in Santiniketan, the Governor once again made it clear that he would not read out the speech as submitted by the state government but would make a few alterations in it.

The senior state government ministers, however, claimed in the past couple of days that such an incident is unprecedented. The Governor also expressed his wish to go through the draft speech presented to him before it was delivered.

A day ahead of his Budget speech, the Governor's comment gives a twist to the apparent bitter relationship between him and the state government. Dhankhar on Wednesday also welcomed controversy when he categorically told the media that he was not going to read out the draft speech.

A press statement issued by Raj Bhavan on Thursday said: "Governor Dhankhar is to address the West Bengal Legislative Assembly under Article 176 of the Constitution of India on February 7 at 2 pm. The address to be delivered by the Governor was sent by the State Government after approval of the Cabinet on February 3."

"Thereafter Dhankhar sent his suggestions recommending some replacements/additions to certain paragraphs and some additions of new paragraphs, to the State Government on the address that was made available after approval of the State Cabinet. The suggestions of the Governor were sent to the State Government on the morning of February 6," reads the press release.

It further says: "The stand of the State government on the issue has been communicated to Raj Bhavan on the evening of 6 February and it was stated that the text of the speech as already sent, is final. Governor has indicated that he would address the issue in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution."

The press statement issued by the Raj Bhavan also pointed out that the Governor will never cross the 'Lakshman Rekha'. Senior minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, however, reacted to the entire issue on Thursday afternoon saying that she never heard of any Governor who wanted to go through the Budget speech and make necessary inclusions wherever he felt like.

The political Observers in the state are apprehending if the Governor goes ahead and incorporates some paragraphs on his own and eventually reads them out during the inaugural Budget session; it may again lead to a fresh tussle between the Governor and the state government.

Incidentally, it may be mentioned here that a few days ago the Kerala Governor during his speech in the Assembly there said he did not agree with the speech given to him by the state government and had only been reading out the speech to honour the Chief Minister.