West Bengal CM: Govt spoke like a BJP block prez

Kolkata: Bengal politics hit an all-time low on Tuesday when chief minister Mamata Banerjee, in an unprecedented move, publicly accused governor Keshari Nath Tripathi of threatening and insulting her over phone during their conversation on the reports of violence due to communal clashes at Baduria in North 24 Parganas. Rubbishing her wild allegations, the governor expressed his surprise over her public outburst.

Exploding in fury at the state secretariat Nabanna, she told the media in the afternoon, “The governor called me up on my phone and threatened me, crossing his limit. While giving a lecture, he took the side of the BJP and insulted me. I never felt so humiliated in my life. I was hurt so deeply that I thought I would quit my post. The governor was talking like a BJP block president. He cannot threaten me.”

“The governor is appointed by the Centre while the chief minister is elected by the people of the state to run the state for the people. I made it clear to him that he cannot talk to me in that tone. I have not become the chief minister by the blessings of him or the BJP. What I am today is due to the blessing of the common people. We are neither thieves nor dacoits,” Ms Banerjee added.

She also wondered how the governor could question her government’s ability to tackle the law and order situation. “Why did the governor take one side? Why cannot he take both sides? He starts speaking according to his whims as soon as some BJP men show him some papers. Why? He should understand that he is a nominated person. I respect him as a constitutional person. He should respect his constitutional post also,” the CM said.

She also slammed the BJP and accused the ruling party and its affiliate organisations of destroying communal harmony in the states. The chief minister was so angry that she asked the journalists not to ask her any question. “Its a serious and sensitive issue,” she told them. In the evening, the Raj Bhavan in a statement strongly rebutted Ms Banerjee’s claims.

The Raj Bhavan statement said, “The hon’ble governor is surprised at the attitude and language used by the hon’ble chief minister during the press conference today. The talks between the hon’ble chief minister and the hon’ble governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it. However, there was nothing in the talks for which the hon’ble chief minister may’ve felt insulted, threatened or humiliated.

It elaborated, “The hon’ble governor did say to the hon’ble chief minister to ensure peace and law and order by all means. The hon’ble governor always holds the persons, who occupy the Constitutional positions, in high esteem. The hon’ble governor, being the Head of the state, is the guardian of all the citizens of the state and not of any particular party or section of society.”

According to the statement, “It is proper for the hon’ble governor to bring to the notice of the hon’ble chief minister any serious grievance made by any member of public or any serious event happening in the State. The hon’ble governor can not remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the state.”

Earlier, a delegation of the BJP and RSS leaders met Mr Tripathi at Raj Bhavan at around 2.30 pm. They showed him some photographs of the violence-hit areas at Baduria and sought his intervention.

At around 3.30 pm, the governor called up the chief minister on her mobile who was holding a meeting on the development of Kalighat Temple with some of her Cabinet ministers at Nabanna then.

Ms Banerjee left the meeting and attended the governor’s call, sources revealed adding that their conversation, however, soon turned bitter.