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In TMC vs guv, new row over Bengal Raj Bhavan’s order to set up judicial probe
A Raj Bhavan statement on Friday said the enquiry will be headed by a one-man commission headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court
KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday ordered a judicial inquiry into allegations of corruption, violence and misuse of university campuses for political purposes, a statement by Raj Bhavan said on Friday triggering sharp criticism by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) which said Bose had set a “bad precedent”.
“The enquiry will be headed by a one-man commission headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court,” the Raj Bhavan statement on Friday said.
The inquiry comes against the backdrop of Bengal education minister Bratya Basu addressing the state conference of West Bengal College and University Professor’s Union (WBCUPA) University of Gour Banga in Malda on March 30. Two Lok Sabha candidates fielded by the TMC – Prasun Banerjee in Malda North and Shahnawaz Ali Raihan in Malda south - were present at the meeting along with other district leaders of the party.
Bengal education minister Bratya Basu questioned Bose’s powers to order a judicial probe and indicated that he hadn’t seen a formal order on the topic.
“It is interesting to note that Chancellor and Governor has ordered a judicial enquiry into corruption, violence and misuse of University campuses in West Bengal for electioneering and political purposes. Now, as we all know that the government is not run through virtual social media like X handle, Facebook – the order of this enquiry should reach the Government as well as the media. One more interesting thing is that the ‘Chancellor and Governor’ has ordered the enquiry. Now the question is that can the Chancellor exercise the powers which the Governor can? Confusion reigns supreme,” Basu wrote on hi X handle.
Bengal assembly speaker Biman Banerjee said the governor couldn’t interfere. “I think the Governor has set a bad precedent by doing this. I am not sure if there has been any similar incident in any university across the country. He could have restrained himself. If the model code of conduct was violated, the Election Commission of India is there to look into it and take appropriate steps. The governor can’t interfere into it,” Banerjee said.
Senior advocate and former Kolkata mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said the governor had exceeded his jurisdiction. “I have not see the order of the Raj Bavan. But apparently it is beyond the jurisdiction of the governor. He can order a departmental, administrative enquiry or internal probe in an university. But I don’t think he can order a judicial enquiry,” said Bhattacharya, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader said.
The fresh controversy comes a day after Raj Bhavan claimed that Bose has directed the Mamata Banerjee government to remove Bratya Basu from the council of ministers for holding a political meeting in a university campus in violation of the model code of conduct enforced by the Election Commission.
