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At BJP programme, WB governor Dhankhar attacks TMC government
Today I appeal to Bengali intelligentsia that they should not keep silent, they should break the silence of the decimation of democratic values we are witnessing, said West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar
West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped up his attack against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state while speaking at a program organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to celebrate the birth anniversary of party ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
“The threat that was there at the time of partition could be neutralised by the great efforts of this great son (Dr Shyamaprasad Mookerjee) of Bharat Ma. Dangers now loom and the legacy given by his efforts to us is being rendered vulnerable and endangered from several quarters. The greatest threat to democracy, which we cannot allow to happen, is extreme appeasement and communal patronage,” he said.
The programme was organised by the BJP at the Red Road in Kolkata and was attended by senior leaders of the party’s state unit including state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, leader of the Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikary and chief whip of the BJP legislative party Manoj Tigga among others.
“Today I appeal to Bengali intelligentsia that they should not keep silent. They should break the silence of the decimation of democratic values we are witnessing. We have become a laboratory of violation of human rights. We cannot allow this state where democracy breathes last,” Dhankhar added.
The TMC government’s acrimonious relationship with Raj Bhawan has been in the news for various reasons ever since Dhankhar was appointed governor in July 2019. The relation nosedived further in recent times with chief minister Mamata Banerjee blocking the governor from following her on social media.
In June this year, the West Bengal assembly passed a bill seeking to make the chief minister chancellor of 17 state-run universities replacing the governor.
“I shall not allow democracy to be decimated. It is my Constitutional oath and I have to protect the Constitution and law. Very tangible things have taken place over the last three years. Fear is the greatest enemy of democracy and the greatest danger to the right to life. And I see fear all around to an extent that we can’t talk about fear,” said Dhankhar.
The TMC which has accused the governor of being a mouthpiece of the BJP hit back saying that Bengali intelligentsia should demand abolition of the governor’s post.
“I have heard what the governor appealed to the Bengali intelligentsia. I would appeal to them to raise the demand to abolish the governor’s post. The governor is a white elephant who is staying at Raj Bhavan, having food and touring the state using tax payers’ money. Dr Shyamaprasad Mookerjee would have been happy to know this. The people of Bengal shouldn’t tolerate a nominated head spitting poison against an elected government in the state,” said Saugata Roy, TMC MP.
