West Bengal: Trinamool Takes Shot At Governor Dhankar, Accuses Him Of Political Bias And Interference

The apparent rift between West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar and the ruling Trinamool Congress widened on Tuesday, with Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee accusing him of making "politically biased statements" and "interfering in all respects of government business."

Chatterjee, who is also the state education minister, said the Governor should not misuse his constitutional jurisdiction and avoid political gimmicks.

"The new Governor, within 15 days of joining has exposed himself that he is not a neutral person, by making politically biased statements against the government officers and government departments," said Chatterjee.

The jibe from Chatterjee came hours after Dhankhar rued the virtual absence of state administration on his first district visit when he held a meeting with political leaders and elected public representatives in Siliguri. Tourism Minister Gautam Deb, Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay and the Siliguri Commissioner of Police remained absent at the meeting. The district magistrate was also on leave.

Chatterjee said as per the Indian Constitution, the state and central governments were both elected bodies, but the Governor's was a nominated post, adding that the roles of the Governor and the state government were clearly earmarked.

(With inputs from IANS)