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Dhankhar submits report to Centre, asks Mamata not to play with fire

Several vehicles in Nadda’s cavalcade were damaged and BJP leaders and workers injured by stone-throwing protesters carrying TMC flags at Sirakol when he was travelling to Diamond Harbour to address a public meeting.

Dhankhar submits report to Centre, asks Mamata not to play with fire

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar. (Photo: IANS)

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar Friday said he has sent a report to the Centre about “extremely disturbing developments” in the state, in the backdrop attack on the convoy of BJP president J P Nadda. Castigating the Mamata Banerjee government over the attack, allegedly by TMC supporters, Dhankhar said a dangerous game of insider and outsider is going on in Bengal.

Several vehicles in Nadda’s cavalcade were damaged and BJP leaders and workers injured by stone-throwing protesters carrying TMC flags at Sirakol when he was travelling to Diamond Harbour to address a public meeting.

“Finding the situation alarming, as my constitutional duty, I have sent a report to the central government about the extremely disturbing developments that do not augur well for democratic values, that are antithetical to rule of law, that sound death knell of constitutional parameters,” he told a press conference at the Raj Bhawan.

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He said that he does not wish to share the contents of the report as part of propriety. The TMC reacted sharply to the governor’s remarks, calling him a “conduit pipe” of the BJP. “The governor has made a habit of speaking to the press daily. We do not want to react to his statements, we can only say he is a conduit pipe of Bharatiya Janata Party,” TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said.

Addressing the press conference where he excoriated Miss Banerjee, Dhankhar asserted, “The governor will vindicate his oath, come what may.” He said it is shameful that such an incident occurred on International Human Rights Day. “Accountability will be enforced,” he said, cautioning Banerjee not to “play with fire”.

Noting that calling an Indian citizen an outsider is an attack on the Constitution, he said, “This is too dangerous to be acceptable by anyone who believes in Indian Constitution and rule of law.” The TMC supremo has on several occasions said that the BJP is bringing outsiders into the state for the upcoming assembly elections.

Claiming that the BJP is bringing musclemen from outside and sending them to the villages in West Bengal, she had told a farmers’ protest rally here on Thursday to challenge them and file FIRs against such entrants.

“If you move away from the path of the Constitution, then my responsibility begins,” the governor said. “The law and order situation in the state has been worsening with each passing day. Despite cautioning the chief minister and the administration nothing has happened,” he said.

Dhankhar said the nonresponsive stance of the CM towards the Raj Bhawan is an indication that governance in the state is not in accordance with the Constitution. Claiming that distancing of governance from the rule of law cannot be accepted in democracy, he said, “unconstitutional parameters are at an alarming level making it extremely difficult for me to conclude that governance in the state is in accordance with the Constitution.”

Describing the attack on Nadda’s convoy on Thursday as most “unfortunate and a slur on our democractic fabric,” he said “The violators of law in Bengal have immunity and protection of political police and administration.”

“Present political scenario in West Bengal is that any opposition is ruthlessly suppressed…human rights were in flames yesterday on World Human Rights Day,” Dhankhar said. Describing Banerjee’s comments on the incident of attack on Nadda’s convoy as “most unfortunate,” he said,

“I take a very serious note of the statement that emanated from Hon’ble the Chief Minister, how can a responsible chief minister believing in rule of law, Constitution, subscribing to the rich Bengali culture talk the way she did.” Shah to address rally at Bongaon:Union home minister Amit Shah will address a rally for the Matua community at Bongaon in North 24- Parganas and launch Jan Sanjog Avijan (public interaction programme).

Bongaon is a densely populated area dominated by the Matua community. He is expected to arrive on 18 December night and will visit Bongaon the next day. Bongaon became a bastion of BJP after Shantanu Thakur, BJP MP won in the Lok Sabha poll.

It is learnt that Shah may make important announcements on the CAA, a senior BJP leader said. On 20 December, he will leave for Shantiniketan to join a government programme. He will meet the BJP’s state leaders on 19 December night. Meanwhile, justifying a report sought over attack on Nadda’s convoy by MHA, BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy today said that there is need of President’s Rule in Bengal.

Addressing a Press conference at BJP’s election office at Hastings, he said that yesterday’s attack on convoy of the saffron party was pre-planned, which was aimed to kill the central BJP leaders especially party’s president Nadda. He said that West Bengal is suffering from “total lawlessness” as the administration has crumbled and cut-money culture has become the order of the day.

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