The spat between West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gets fierce by the day, moreso ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections. While at times Mamata chose to ignore the Governor’s jibes, the Trinamool Congress(TMC) supremo is now all the more making it a point to show she will not take things lying down.
On Friday the Governor apprehended that violence would take place in the upcoming elections. “There is only one discussion in the country, which is apprehension that the elections in West Bengal will be bloodied and will be tainted by violence.” Said Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at a press conference at Purulia district.
The letter sent by TMC MPs on December 29th 2020 to President of India Ram Nath Kovind asking for removal using Article 156(1) of the Constitution after citing phrases used in the recent past against the state administration and ruling party, to depict a breach of oath.
Here are the phrases TMC has cited in their letter to the Governor:
Culpable, anarchy, lawlessness, political police, collapse of law and order, grave threat to democracy, politician officials, political hatchet, fraught with serious consequences, time for all to wake up and restore rule of law and for free and fair election and to defeat such sinister designs, citizens must rise in vigilance mode.
There are several other phrases mentioned which the Governor has used in his tweets to lash out at the ruling administration in West Bengal.
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In a tweet a few days ago, TMC MP Derek Obrien after the Governor accused a top Police official and Mamata of engaging in politically motivated police actions. “Normally ignored you, but you have crossed the line. Enough. You are nothing but His Master’s Voice! You are a disgrace to the office you hold. Without basis, u criticize and demean Bengal to serve your political masters. U do this while enjoying Bengal’s hospitality. Shame on you.” Said Obrien in his tweet.
Normally ignore you, but you have crossed the line. Enough. You are nothing but His Master’s Voice! You are a disgrace to the office you hold. Without basis, u criticize & demean Bengal to serve your political masters. U do this while enjoying Bengal’s hospitality. Shame on you https://t.co/NvVfVjAxzF
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) December 28, 2020
Recently the Governor had asked Mamata to apologise for the attack on BJP President JP Nadda’s convoy while on another occasion asked the West Bengal Chief Minister not to play with fire. What has further irked the TMC is that the Governor asked Mamata to ensure that former transport Minister Suvendu Adhikari who crossed over from TMC to BJP recently is not implicated in false cases.
Since Dhankhar took over the post of Governor in the state on July 30th 2019, on various occasions Mamata and the Governor have been at loggerheads. The TMC has often accused the Governor of being a BJP stooge. Despite the letter written by TMC MPs to President Kovind, Governor Dhankhar is undeterred and continues to speak his mind, sending out a strong message to the ruling TMC administration that he is fearless.