While Bengal’s academic environment has gone to dogs its law and order situation and democratic culture has been thoroughly destroyed by the ruling Trinamool Congress, State Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said bringing serious allegations against the Mamata Banerjee Government on a host of other issues too.
Speaking to a Bengali television channel the Governor said, “With my eyes and ears open that there is dreadful environment prevailing in the State where the political opposition is living in a state of abject fear.”
Wondering as to “what impression one gets by hearing that the political opponents are hung by the trees,” he said, When suchincidents take place for political reasons “you have no doubt that the situation is dangerous and alarming.”
Alleging subjugation of the media he said, “I fear the day when media will be in fear in Bengal because when media loses its spine there is nothing that remains in the democracy.” Speaking about the depreciating academic situation in the State the Governor said, “there is total paralysis of the higher educationsystem,” accusing the ruling party of “destroying the future of the children of the State.”
Bringing serious charges against the Government for ignoring even the presidential warrants he said “you will be shocked, annoyed and surprised to know that even President’s warrant was not acted on for full seven-eight days” on a certain matter of judicial interest.
Furthering his arguments on a shameful drop in maintenance of official decorum he said how vice chancellors of universities were appointed without his permission and without him being informed. “These are only some of the incidents from a long list of lapses I am referring toyou,” he said adding how “V-Cs were appointed without my permission...I was not even informed for the sake of courtesy though for allofficial purposes I am the Chancellor of all the universities.”
The ill feeling between the office of the Governor and the State Government had refused to die down ever since Dhankhar on his own accord went to Jadavpur University on September 19 to rescue Union Minister Babul Supriyo—who got entrapped amid a students’agitation — allegedly ignoring the advice of the political executive.
Raising once again the issue of him being ignored and sidelined duringDurga Carnival— a gala show hosted by the State Government post Vijay Dushmi — despite being invited to the show Dhankhar reminded how he was consigned to an insignificant corner from where “neither could I watch the procession of the idols nor could I see the programme,” and said how it “appeared that the public exchequer money was being spent to project only one person.”
He would however not name Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who was the Chief Guest at the carnival and who even tied Rakhi on the hands of the Governor.
Even as he complained about repeated statements being issued by various Ministers calling him a tourist or a man of gimmicks —considering his proactive ways of organising administrative meetings in districts a la the Chief Minister — the Governor said he had not raised the issues with the Chief Minister because “I think she is asenior and very able politician and administrator and knows everything that is happening around.”