The face-off between the West Bengal government and Raj Bhavan escalated on Thursday, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar of repeatedly interfering in the functioning of the state administration and the latter asserting that a state cannot be governed as a personal fiefdom.
At daggers drawn for the last several months, the two went for each other's jugular, with Banerjee shooting off a letter to Dhankhar in the backdrop of his recent criticism of the government over the way the state was tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Banerjee's allegation drew a sharp reaction from Dhankhar, who said that a state cannot be governed as a personal fiefdom and a constitutional functionary cannot be allowed to turn into a law unto oneself.
In a strongly worded five-page letter to the governor, Banerjee said Dhankhar has forgotten she is the "elected chief minister of a proud Indian state" whereas he is a nominated governor.
"You have to judge for yourself, whether your direct attacks on me, my ministers, officers, your tone, tenor and language, which in mildest words of extreme moderation, deserve to be characterised as parliamentary, your holding press conferences against the state government of which you are a governor, your repeated and consistent interference in the administration of my ministries make it clear as to who has flagrantly transgressed constitutional dharma...," she wrote.
Banerjee claimed the governor's conduct does not conform to even "basic norms of decency" between constitutional functionaries.
Dhankhar was quick to respond, tweeting, "A communication @MamataOfficial has been received. Outrageously factually wrong and constitutionally infirm. Recognised Non Resident Bengali Doctors have in an eye opener representation flagged concern? @MamataOfficial in COVID-19 battle. Worrisome issues flagged 1. Gross under-testing in West Bengal, and 2. Misreporting of data on the cause of death in COVID-19 patients," he said.
Dhankhar then shot back with a missive to Banerjee, saying "there has been a total failure at your end all through as regards compliance of constitutional prescriptions qua (in so far as) the constitutional head. The enormity of the situation and lapses at your end is that in spite of repeated communications for compliance you have blackholed all my communications resulting in the virtual negation of Articles 166 and 167 of the Constitution," he said in a five-page reply.
In her letter, Banerjee referred to a text message from the governor and said the tone, tenor, and language was unprecedented.
Terming Dhankhar's statement to the audiovisual media "to warn her" an "unprecedented event", Banerjee said the
governor continues to ignore all advice and inputs given by her and the council of ministers since his appointment. She also annexed a two-page letter from Dhankhar where he had castigated her government.
Comments
0 comment