The Raj Bhavan-Nabanna (Secretariat) conflict hit a new low as for the first time post Independence the Bengal Assembly on Monday passed a Bill replacing the State Governor by Chief Minister as the Chancellor of the Universities.
The Assembly passed the Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022 with 182 members supporting it and 40 members voting against it. The State Cabinet had approved the decision early this month. While there was no reaction from Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar whose office perennially had been at loggerheads with the State Secretariat --- on issues of violence, corruption etc --- he had earlier said that he would take appropriate steps when the Bill would be sent to him for consideration. State Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari who along with five BJP leaders had earlier been suspended for one year from entering Assembly and was sitting outside the House in protest for a large part of the day said “as Education comes in Concurrent List … I will request the Governor to send the Bill to the President of India for his consideration.”
Experts said the Governor could either reject the Bill or re-send it to the Assembly for or send it to the President for consideration. “If there is a conflict between the State and the Centre the Centre’s stand will prevail,” experts said adding “Governor himself being a lawyer of repute will take appropriate decision.”
Earlier a badge of Bengal civil society members including, poets, painters, cine artists, educationists etc had wrote a letter to the Government requesting appointment of a member from the intelligentsia as the Chancellor.
Following frequent clashes between the Governor and the Chief Minister over crucial policy matters, the Government had earlier decided not only to replace Governor as the Chancellor but also the Visitor of the private universities. The Cabinet has also decided to replace the Governor who is also the Visitor of the private universities with the Education Minister.