Logo

Logo

Mamata Banerjee indulging in cheap politics in tangling with Governor, says Dilip Ghosh

The Governor could travel by helicopter to attend any programme and it would not be wastage of money.

Mamata Banerjee indulging in cheap politics in tangling with Governor, says Dilip Ghosh

West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh addresses a press conference in Kolkata on Sep 12, 2019. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)

BJP state president and MP Dilip Ghosh today accused chief minister Mamata Banerjee of indulging in cheap politics by engaging in a confrontation with the West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. He said chief minister Banerjee is worried about Dhankar visiting various parts of the state, as it can expose her mismanagement in running the state administration.

The Governor was on Thursday refused permission to use a helicopter to travel to Farakka in Murshidabad district, making it the second such instance in one week. Mr Dhankhar visited Farakka on Friday morning to attend a programme. The request for the chopper was made well in advance but there was no response from the state administration, a Raj Bhavan source said. The ruling Trinamul Congress (TMC), however, questioned the need for a helicopter for the Governor’s travel and termed it ‘absurd’ and ‘misuse of public money’.

Earlier this week, the Governor had made a request for a helicopter to travel to Shantipur in Nadia district to attend a festival, which was also turned down by the West Bengal government. Ghosh said a helicopter is used for facilitating administrative work. Even CM Banerjee used choppers to travel several parts of the state. “TMC government spends a huge amount from the government exchequer for organising fairs, club sports and other purposes. In maximum cases public money was wasted for those purposes.

Advertisement

The Governor could travel by helicopter to attend any programme and it would not be wastage of money. The TMC leader actually is afraid about the Governor going to the interior of the state as Mr Dhankar could raise question about the failure of her administration,” said Mr Ghosh. Mr Dhankhar had also said politics over distribution of relief in areas hit by cyclone Bulbul hurt democracy, to which Miss Banerjee responded sharply saying that a person occupying the gubernatorial post should not try to run a parallel administration.

The verbal spat between the TMC government and the Governor started soon after he assumed office in July end. The two sides have been locked in a war of words a number of issues ~ ranging from Mr Dhankhar’s seating at the Durga Puja carnival to comments on his security after he rushed to Jadavpur University on 19 September to “rescue” union minister Babul Supriyo, who had been gheraoed by a section of students.

Advertisement