Stop talking via media, write letter instead: Gov tells Mamata

Berhampore/Kolkata: In a fresh tussle with the chief minister Mamata Banerjee, governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday cautioned Ms Banerjee against saying anything to him via media. Expressing his displeasure, he instead advised the CM to write a letter to him or to tell him directly in person on whatever she has to say.

Mr Dhankhar, who visited Farakka in Murshidabad, to attend the silver jubilee celebration programme of Prof Syed Nurul Hasan College, also complained of poor road condition after the Trinamul Congress government did not allow him a helicopter for his tour despite a request sent from the Raj Bhavan to the CM on Thursday.

After attending the event, the governor said, “Honourable chief minister should not tell me something through the media. I want to tell her that if she wants, she can write a letter to me or she can talk directly to me during our meeting.”.

Mr Dhankhar also said, “The educational institutes have everything. But there is no goodwill and good gesture from the state government at all. The educational environment should be cordial.” He expressed his surprise after learning that no university has come up in the district for its population of around 75 lakhs.

Although, he pointed out that the poor road conditions during his road journey from Suri in Birbhum to Farakka, he told the media that he was not a tourist at all and his 600 km-long journey was comfortable. Malda South MP Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury, Farakka MLA Moinul Hoque, Suti MLA Humayun Reja and CPI(M) leader Abul Hasnat Khan attended the event.

But state education minister Partha Chatterjee and the college governing body president Sujata Banerjee were conspicuous by their absence. Hitting out at Mr Dhankhar, TMC minister Chandrima Bhattacharya alleged, “The governor is not acting befitting his post.” She argued that the helicopter charges are borne by the state government from tax paid by the people.

Lambasting the TMC, Congress parliamentary party leader Sabha Adhir Chowdhury said, “The state government could have provided a helicopter, when the CM and many other ministers use choppers. It shows its narrow-mindedness and shun our eternal tradition.”