Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar once again upped the ante against the Trinamool Congress Government for failing to create an atmosphere conducive for free and fair elections saying proliferation of grenade workshops throughout the State was hurting the State’s democratic culture more than anything else.
The Governor said that bomb factories did not go well with a State that had produced a number of Nobel Laureate and literary giants.
“At times it pains me when I think how Bengal — a State which has produced so many Nobel Laureates and which has been a hub of literary activities producing giant intellectuals and which has been the epicenter of democratic movements — is today sitting on a pile of gun powder. This does not go well with the State’s lofty intellectual and democratic traditions,” the Governor.
Dhankhar who has no love lost with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wondered whether in such a volatile atmosphere peaceful elections were possible.
He asked “how can you conduct peaceful and free and fair elections if the situation continues to be so grim and if explosives hidden across the State are not recovered immediately.”
Bengal is scheduled to go in for a state-wide civic elections. Apparently the Governor was making his statement in the backdrop of forthcoming municipal polls.
The Trinamool Congress was prompt to hit back at the Governor doubting his neutrality. Reacting to his sharp remarks senior State Minister and TMC general secretary Partho Chatterjee said that in his long political career he had never seen a prejudiced Governor like the present one in office.
“I have seen many Governors in my long political career. But none like this gentleman who gets up in the morning and starts tweeting on subjects that do not fall within his domain,” Chatterjee asked saying “at times I wonder as to why has he became a Governor in the first place if he had so much interest in active politics. He could well have remained a Minister. The job he is presently in does not perhaps suit him.”
The Minister added, “It is good that he is making the work of Dilip Ghosh (State BJP president) easier because the comments that should otherwise have been coming from the BJP office is coming from the Governor’s House.”
Meanwhile Ghosh who on Sunday offered special prayers at the Tirupathi Temple said he did so in order to bring peace, development, prosperity and not the least a political change in Bengal.