West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday morning refuted the allegations of employing his relatives at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, levelled against him by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra .
Dhankhar tweeted that the allegations were factually wrong, saying that none of them was a part of his close family, while four of them were not from his caste.
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“Assertion @MahuaMoitra in tweet & Media that six coterminous appointee OSDs in personal staff are relatives is FACTUALLY WRONG. OSDs are from three states and belong to four different castes. None of them is part of close family. Four of them are not from my caste or state,” Dhankhar tweeted on Monday morning.
In a scathing attack against Dhankhar, Moitra had on Sunday alleged that the former employed three of his relatives, two relatives of a former aide-de-camp (ADC) and one relative of his present ADC as officers on special duty (OSD) at Raj Bhavan.
The governor said that the TMC MP’s tweets were a part of the “distraction strategy to divert attention from the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.”
{{/usCountry}}The governor said that the TMC MP’s tweets were a part of the “distraction strategy to divert attention from the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.”
{{/usCountry}}“This is unfolding of ‘distraction strategy’ to divert attention from alarming law and order scenario @MamataOfficial. Would continue undeterred and with zeal to serve the people of state and vindicate my oath of office under Article 159 of the Constitution,” he tweeted.
Moitra said in successive tweets that the situation in Bengal will improve if the governor leaves with his “extended family”.
Dhankhar assumed charge in July 2019. The acrimonious relationship between the governor and the TMC-ruled West Bengal government has been in the news since September that year.
TMC leaders have time and again accused Dhankhar of being “an agent” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and accused him of partisan behaviour.
Moitra had tweeted the list (of six OSDs) on Sunday, shortly after Dhankhar accused the administration of inaction in the post-poll scenario and asked the chief secretary to meet him on Monday to discuss political violence.
Moitra replied to Dhankhar’s Monday morning tweet within 20 minutes and asked him to declare the antecedents of the appointees. Addressing the governor as “Uncle Ji”, she demanded a prompt reply.
“Asking Uncleji to lay out right here what antecedents of the appointees are & how each one got into Raj Bhavan. Do it NOW. BJP IT Cell can’t get you out of this one Uncleji.. And I don’t think Vice President of India also happening for you,” tweeted Moitra.
Dhankhar did not reply to this tweet till 3.20pm