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Constitutional lapse, says Bengal governor as DGP, chief secretary skip two meetings
The acrimonious relationship between West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) government and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar witnessed a new low on Wednesday when the director general of police and the chief secretary did not visit Raj Bhawan to explain why the police stopped the leader of the opposition in the assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, during a district tour on January 7
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The acrimonious relationship between West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) government and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar witnessed a new low on Wednesday when the director general of police and the chief secretary did not visit Raj Bhawan to explain why the police stopped the leader of the opposition in the assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, during a district tour on January 7.
The two officers were summoned to meet the governor at 11am on Wednesday after they skipped the first meeting on Monday.
Pulling up chief secretary H K Dwivedi and director general of police Manoj Malaviya for skipping two meetings in three days on social media, Dhankhar on Wednesday called it a “constitutional lapse”.
“CS @MamataOfficial DGP @WBPolice ‘boycott’ WB Guv meeting (Re:LOP @SuvenduWB Netai visit) for second time in 3 days - actionable incondonable constitutional lapse by top officials @IASassociation @IPS_Association bearing out observation @India_NHRC in WB ‘Law of Ruler not of Law’,” Dhankhar tweeted.
The governor also uploaded a video showing him reading out a short speech on this issue and the chairs and sofas in his chamber lying empty.
On January 9, Dhankhar said that an additional chief secretary and a police officer serving under the DGP must meet him with details of the incident since the chief secretary and DGP informed him that they were staying in isolation because of the Covid pandemic.
After receiving a report on the incident from the Jhargram superintendent of police, the governor said on Tuesday that he wanted to see an updated written report. He alleged that his directions were not being followed.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Adhikari drew the governor’s attention after he was allegedly stopped by the police from visiting Netai in Jhargram district on January 7 to pay homage to the nine victims of a carnage that took place in 2011 during the Left Front rule. Adhikari was a TMC leader at that time.
After his convoy was stopped on the highway, Adhikari accused the government of violating a Calcutta high court order that earlier said his movements cannot be restricted.
On Wednesday, Dhankhar alleged that the DGP and chief secretary “damaged the reputation of top services” and violated the “essence of democracy” by not meeting him despite being called twice.
“CS @MamataOfficial DGP @WBPolice conduct aggravated by lack of response and habitual defiance of directives from Guv. Rather than ‘uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and democratic values’ these officials @IASassociation @IPS_Association have violated essence of democracy,” the governor wrote in a second tweet.
“Constitutionally ordained ‘to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law’ would now ensure that CS @MamataOfficial DGP @WBPolice get into constitutional groove. These officials @IASassociation @IPS_Association have spinally damaged the reputation of top services,” a third tweet said.
No government official spoke on this issue on Wednesday.
TMC leaders also refused to comment, saying it was a government matter.
