Even as the Calcutta High Court today dismissed a petition seeking suo motu proceedings against Abhishek Banerjee for his alleged anti-judiciary remark, governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has sought action against Banerjee, as he wrote to the state’s chief secretary, alleging that the Trinamul Congress’s Diamond Harbour MP also has past record in insulting a sitting judge.

The tension between the state government and the governor is on the boil as they continue to level allegations against each other in public. Mr Dhankhar today asked the chief secretary HK Dwivedi to initiate all expected actions and send him an update by June 06. He felt that the TMC MP’s alleged assertions that the judiciary is working hand-in-glove with the central government, is “shameful and scandalizes judiciary, interferes with the due course of the justice process, and reflects scant respect for the rule of law”. He said that Mr Banerjee’s remarks in public can neither be overlooked nor countenanced.

Dhankhar further wrote: “the obvious intent of such attack is to browbeat the judiciary, apart from signalling law of ruler and not rule of law holding the field. Such attacks on the judiciary are worrisome as these sound the death knell of democracy…”

The governor reminded the chief secretary that “a similar orchestrated and synchronised targeting of a sitting judge, then seized of Nandigram Election Petition, was unleashed by the Diamond Harbour MP, and others in September 2021. Chief Secretary then, on September 06, 2021, was called upon to take appropriate action and send prompt input to this office on actions taken against the perpetrators within a week”. He alleged that the chief secretary had failed to take appropriate action.

Even though Dhankhar took offence to Abhishek’s remark, the Calcutta High Court today dismissed a petition seeking suo motu proceedings against Banerjee for his alleged anti-judiciary remarks. The Division Bench that rejected the plea felt that the judicial system of the country is not so fragile that such remarks can tarnish its sanctity and reputation. The bench, however, warned that elected representatives must be careful while making such public statements.

Abhishek Banerjee, in his rally at Shyamnagar today, took a jibe at the governor as he said that his comment targeted one per cent of the judiciary and not the entire system. He questioned how come his comment only irked the governor who even chose to respond to this?