Didi planned PM boycott, driven by ego: Dhankhar
In a startling revelation, West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar claimed early on Tuesday that chief minister Mamata Banerjee had hinted beforehand during an “urgent” talk between them at the “boycott” by her along with her government’s officials of the review meeting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the devastation by Cyclone Yaas on May 28 over the presence of Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. He further alleged that the Trinamul Congress supremo had given priority to her “ego” over public service.
Stumped by his revelation in a series of explosive tweets after midnight Monday, the ruling TMC swung into damage control mode before it tried to counter him.
Mr Dhankhar tweeted: “Constrained by false narrative to put record straight: On May 27 at 2316 hrs CM @MamataOfficial messaged ‘may i talk? Urgent’. Thereafter on phone indicated boycott by her & officials of PM Review Meet #CycloneYaas if LOP @SuvenduWB attends it. Ego prevailed over public service. With unparalleled trampling of constitutional values & affront to the office of PM, May 28 will go down as ‘a dark day’ in India’s long-standing ethos of cooperative federalism.”
He added: “At PM Review Meet #CycloneYaas democracy was shredded @MamataOfficial and Chief Secy @IASassociation. All constitutional principles
were torn asunder by CM @MamataOfficial and functionaries @IASassociation at PM Review Meet #CycloneYaas. Democracy imperilled by such unconstitutional stance. Time #Media to introspectively check fear quotient in WB that threatens rule of law.”
Senior TMC MP Saugata Roy, however, claimed: “The governor’s comments are irresponsible. The chief minister did not boycott the meeting of the Prime Minister. She rather met him and submitted the state government’s demands to him. As CM she, however, has the liberty to question Mr Adhikari’s presence at the meeting. Since he is not a government official, why would he attend it? And why would a CM, whose party has come to power, tolerate their politics? The Constitution does not give the governor any scope to tweet. He should stop it.”
Another Trinamul Congress MP, Kalyan Banerjee, wondered: “The PM had destroyed the federal structure in democracy. In that sense, May 28 will be seen as a ‘Dark Day’. Since when has the leader of the opposition been a member of the state government that he would attend it’s meeting?”