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Bengal CM, guv trade barbs over inspections
The tussle came even as the state recorded 58 new cases on Thursday and two central teams visited hospitals and quarantine centers in north and south Bengal.
A visit by a central team to monitor the ongoing nationwide lockdown in West Bengal triggered a war-of-words between chief minister Mamata Banerjee and governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Thursday with the former accusing the latter of violating “constitution dharma”.
The tussle came even as the state recorded 58 new cases on Thursday and two central teams visited hospitals and quarantine centers in north and south Bengal. The state government started cooperating with the teams on Wednesday after a stern letter from the Union home ministry.
On Thursday afternoon, Banerjee shot off a five-page letter to Raj Bhawan. “You appear to have forgotten that I am an elected Chief Minister of a proud Indian state. You also seem to have forgotten that you are a nominated Governor,” she wrote.
Banerjee also released Dhankhar’s previous communications, including text messages and letters he had sent to the chief minister. “The communications make it clear as to who has flagrantly transgressed constitutional dharma and even basic norms of decency between constitutional functionaries.”
Banerjee’s letter came after Dhankhar accused the state government of mismanaging the Covid-19 crisis in Bengal. On Tuesday, the governor had also alleged a scam in the public distribution system and said it had been hijacked by leaders from the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Dhankhar also criticised the state government for welcoming a team of World Health Organization (WHO) representatives earlier this week and contrasted it with the cold response given to the inter-ministerial teams sent by the Centre.
Late on Thursday evening, Dhankhar responded to Banerjee with a long letter. “Your constant refrain of the governor being ‘nominated’ is lamentable and can be ascribed only to elementary ignorance of the Constitution,” Dhankhar wrote. “I need to indicate firmly that there has been total failure at your end all through as regards compliance of constitutional prescriptions qua the constitutional head,” he added.
A team of WHO representatives had visited the districts of East Midnapore, a Covid-19 hotspot in the ‘red zone’, and Bankura, which is in the ‘orange zone’, on Monday. The state administration had fully cooperated with the WHO team during their one-day visit.
Bengal chief secretary Rajiva Sinha, too, questioned the “motive” behind sending these teams. “West Bengal stands on 12th position in the country as far as coronavirus is concerned. Of the 11 states placed above us, central teams visited only three. I cannot understand the logic behind this.”
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary Rahul Sinha termed Banerjee’s letter to Dhankhar as “utmost unfortunate”.
