The CM-Governor clash in Bengal

An already fractious relationship between the West Bengal government and the state’s governor, Jagdeep Dhankhar, took an ugly turn last week after chief minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee told reporters that she blocked the governor on Twitter because she was “irritated” by his statements on her administration. This sparked a response from Raj Bhavan, marking the latest round of a tussle that began after he took office in 2019.

Tension between the notional head of the state administration and the elected CM is a decades-old phenomena in politics, especially when the two belong to rival political outfits. Nominated by the central government, governors continue to be seen as an instrument of the Union despite the Supreme Court putting clear fetters on their power. Every ruling dispensation in Delhi has been guilty of trying to misuse the governor’s office for political reasons.

Neither are Bengal’s problems unique. State governments and the Raj Bhavan have clashed on numerous occasions in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Delhi (lieutenant governors in the case of the last two Union Territories). Ms Banerjee claims that the governor is trying to rule by proxy, and has stalled key bills passed by the state legislature. Mr Dhankhar alleges that the state government is trying to insult his office and that his job is to hold the administration accountable on the constitutionality of its actions. Both are serious charges but require discussion, not a public free-forall. The government must not be undermined by any authority and the office of the governor deserves respect and consideration. The clash underlines the unfortunate politicisation of Raj Bhavans and the erosion in Centre-state relations. But it should not sully an office once held by giants such as C Rajagopalachari. Both sides must exercise restraint.