Bengal’s fight against Covid compromised: Guv Dhankhar

West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s acrimonious relationship with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and chief minister Mamata Banerjee is well known. Dhankar spoke to Tanmay

Chatterjee about how the state has failed to control the Covid-19 pandemic. Edited excerpts:

Do you think the TMC government has failed to tackle the outbreak?

Nationally and globally, monumental lapses of Mamata Banerjee in tackling Covid-19 [outbreak] are headlines. Gruesome reports of the disposal of Covid-19 dead bodies from several areas with heartless, indescribable insensitivity is unconscionably shocking. People are traumatised at this callous stance. We would never be able to come out of the sordid saga and shame of Dhapa [a garbage dumping ground where Covid-19 victims are cremated]. It will haunt us for long. Bengal, unfortunately, is emerging as a police state...

Is the state solely responsible for this failure or, did the Centre also react late, as alleged by TMC?

The Prime Minister’s handling of

Covid-19 has been nationally and globally appreciated. His consensual approach with statesmanship stance resulted in rare support by the people. Mamata Banerjee is the only CM to be in stand-alone mode.

The Centre has been in affirmative mode. The home ministry’s eye opener communication on April 10 came as a relief to the people. Because of her political antenna being ever up and [her] eye being on vote bank politics, the fight against Covid-19 has been severely compromised.

Do you think the state government tried to conceal the actual death toll as alleged by the BJP?

Right from the word go, the cover up operation to fudge and stagger figures was operationalised.

There is no credibility to the state’s data. Some things are looking up after the IMCT’s catalysed and affirmative action. Yet, much is to be done. After coming under fire from every quarter, she [Banerjee] had to virtually disband the cover up operation.

How do you see this as a government’s role in protecting citizens?

She looks at issues through the political prism and this resulted in dilution of lockdown protocol, ineffective enforcement of social distancing and holding of banned religious congregations under the very nose of the police.

TMC leaders say that you speak the language of the BJP. Do you see this as an insult to your Constitutional position?

All of them are playing to the tune of the remote control authority. I lament their lack of freedom. It is worrisome how these leaders have been emasculated and tamed. Such a spineless stance is a challenge to democracy.

Never before have we seen a Bengal governor writing so frequently on social media. Why do you do it?

...Taking to social media per se should not be an issue. I would be enlightened if content thereof is inappropriate. No one has so far said so. I am motivated only by the welfare of the people...