E-Paper
TMC sharpens attack against Bengal governor Dhankhar over Jain Hawla case
Samik Bhattacharya, the Bhartiya Janata Party’s Bengal spokesman, said the TMC is trying to divert the attention because it knows that the corruption in the Gorkha Territorial Administration has now come out
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal sharpened its attack on governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday saying that “the name of one Dhankhar can be found in the Jain Hawala case”.
“Names of several politicians who took bribe cropped up when the case was being heard. One of them was that of Dhankhar. It is not possible for me to say whether our governor and that person (Dhankhar) named in the Jain dairy are one and the same person. Only Dhankhar can clarify,” said TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray.
This comes a day after chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the name of Dhankhar appeared in the case. The Jain hawala case was a political scandal in the mid-90s centered around a handwritten diary that mentioned alleged hawala payments of about ₹65 crore. The names of the recipients were written in codes and matched the initials of some top political leaders. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed over two dozen chargesheets in this case. But the cases collapsed because the CBI did not produce any corroborative evidence to prove the bribery charge.
Also Read | Statehood for north Bengal: The story of an old demand, new political dynamic
The governor has refuted the charges. “I never expected a leader of her stature to create a sensation, engage in misinformation and misrepresentation. I have not been charge-sheeted. There is no such document. This is far from fact. This is plain and simple untruth, misinformation. I have not taken any stay from any court,” Dhankhar said on Monday.
There was no response from Dhankhar on Tuesday till almost two hours after the TMC’s fresh attack.
Ray said the party will decide if any legal steps are to be taken in this regard. “Chief minister has already sent three letters to the Prime Minister on three occasions to relieve Dhankhar of the post. The parliament sessions start on July 19. We would explore if any steps could be taken against the governor in the parliament.”
Dhankhar said on Monday that everyone named in the charge sheet was acquitted. Ray said that the case was still pending in the court and hence the question of acquittal does not arise.
“TMC abides by the Constitution. It is not safe for the country if a man who doesn’t abide by the Constitution, is corrupt and may have links with terrorism is made the governor.”
Samik Bhattacharya, the Bhartiya Janata Party’s Bengal spokesman, said the TMC is trying to divert the attention because it knows that the corruption in the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) has now come out and the lid has been taken off from the fake vaccination racket in which senior leaders are involved.
The governor said on Monday the TMC’s attack came after he raised allegations of corruption against the GTA, which runs the Darjeeling and Kalimpong regions.
State minister Bratya Basu said the governor could have sought the report from the department of home and hill affairs instead.
