Nobody should try crossing ‘Lakshmanrekha’: Jagdeep Dhankar

Kolkata: Governor Jagdeep Dhankar, who has been at loggerheads with the Mamata Banerjee government, on Saturday warned that no one should cross the “Lakshmanrekha.” Without taking the names of the Trinamul Congress supremo and her party leaders, he also complained that his comments have often been read as “political.”

Mr Dhankar made it clear that he would continue to do according to the Constitutional provisions for his post. While state BJP president Dilip Ghosh stood by Mr Dhankar, state Congress president Somen Mitra described the war of words between the governor and the state government, rare.

Addressing a programme, Mr Dhankar said, “I specially appeal that when I say so, often political meaning is read into it. I, as the governor of the state of West Bengal, am required more than anybody else to see I adhere to a mechanism that is spelt out for me by the Indian Constitution. And that is I must do what I am supposed to do.”

He added, “I must not do what I am not supposed to do. That means none of us should cross the Lakshmanrekha. That I think is the situation for everyone.” Reacting on the tussle between Mr Dhankar and the Trinamul government, Mr Mitra observed, “I have never seen such a clash between the government and the state government in the past.” “People will decide who is within the jurisdiction of the Constitution or outside. But, the way the exchange of words is taking place, it suggests that the behaviour of neither the governor nor the state government has any logic in healthy democracy,” he added. Mr Ghosh, however said, “A massive controversy has been raging on the governor. It is an addition to the Bengal politics.”

“The Constitution and people are there to monitor the governor’s activities. The constitutional experts will comment whether he is doing right or wrong. He always maintains that whatever he does is within his jurisdiction.” He argued, “The governor is also visiting different places of the state either for administrative purpose or to attend events. I think the Trinamul does not like it. He requested for helicopters twice.  The government chopper is earmarked for the administrative heads only. Still it was not given to him.” The BJP MP of Midnapore bantered, “Why can’t the governor get the helicopter ? She counted five lakh homes, which were destroyed. It is her old habit.” He added, “First she claimed the figure to be two lakhs. Then she said it was five lakhs. We have found that five lakh Kachcha homes do not exist in North and 24 Parganas altogether even. I do not know on what basis she made the comment. Why can’t the governor get the helicopter if she could have fresh air flying in chopper?”