DHANKHAR MAY DEFY NORM AS BENGAL ASSEMBLY SESSION BEGINS
NEW DELHI: The tussle between West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is threatening another showdown in the upcoming assembly session that starts from Friday. The governor hinted on June 28 that he is not bound to read the text of the speech approved by the state cabinet — an age-old norm. Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi, a constitutional expert, said there is no doubt that the governor is bound by the text approved by the state cabinet.
KOLKATA: Relations between West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) touched a new low over a fake vaccination scam in Kolkata amid speculation on whether the governor will follow convention and read out a speech prepared by the state government to open the assembly’s budget session on Friday.
TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy alleged links between Dhankhar and Debanjan Deb, accused of running fake vaccine camps and inoculating hundreds of people, including an MP, with antibiotics. He released photographs that purportedly showed Dhankhar standing near a man who Roy alleged was Deb’s security guard. The governor didn’t respond to requests for a comment. This is the second major allegation levelled by the TMC on Dhankhar in four days.
On June 28, chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged Dhankhar was an accused in the 1996 Jain hawala case and branded him a “corrupt man”. While dismissing the allegation later that day, Dhankhar told the media that he was not bound to read out the speech prepared by the state government while inaugurating the
budget session. “Am I supposed to read out everything that is written?” he said.
This triggered speculation because in February last year Dhankhar wanted to edit the speech prepared by the state. The government rejected his suggestion. Dhankhar finally followed convention and read out the speech that was critical of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. On Wednesday, the governor shot a letter to assembly speaker Biman Banerjee, saying he was “more saddened than anguished” at the allegation Biman Banerjee made against him at the June 21 national speakers’ conference chaired by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla.
Biman Banerjee complained to Om Birla that Dhankhar was interfering in the functioning of the assembly and sitting on bills – charges rejected by the governor. “According to the intimation sent to me, the governor will address the inauguration of the budget session tomorrow. As far his letter is concerned, I will reply to it later,” the speaker said on Thursday evening.
Earlier in the day, Roy released two photographs – one showing a man who allegedly worked as Deb’s security guard standing near Dhankhar, his wife and two other women, and another showing the same man standing behind Deb. “The man in the photograph is Arabinda Baidya, who worked as the security guard of Deb. In one photo, he can be seen standing behind Deb while in the other he can be seen standing near the governor and his family,” Roy said.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh said: “If the TMC government has any proof against the governor then it should make it public instead of bringing wild allegations against him every other day.”
SC notice to state, Centre
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and West Bengal government within four weeks on a petition demanding the deployment of Army or paramilitary forces in view of the deteriorating law and order situation following the post-poll violence in the state. The petition sought orders to the Centre and state to ensure the safety of the citizens.