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Bengal governor hits back at TMC on chancellor issue, Abhishek’s remark on judiciary
West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar who was on a tour of north Bengal, was also sharply critical of the state cabinet’s May 26 decision to make the chief minister the chancellor of the 17 state-run universities, replacing the governor.
Kolkata: West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday attacked the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, saying the move to replace him as chancellor of state-run universities is a ploy to divert attention from the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam and also alleged that TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee “crossed the red line” by making statements against the judiciary on Saturday.
Dhankhar called the irregularities in the recruitment examination “the mother of all scams.”
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the alleged corruption in the recruitment of teachers by the SSC in 2018. Minister Paresh Adhikari’s daughter has lost her job while former education minister and TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee has been questioned.
Dhankhar, who was on a tour of north Bengal, was also sharply critical of the state cabinet’s May 26 decision to make the chief minister the chancellor of the 17 state-run universities, replacing the governor.
Government officials on Saturday said that there was also a move to make the education minister the visitor of the nine private universities in Bengal, replacing Dhankhar.
The government will need to get amendments to laws relating to state universities passed by the assembly and then get the governor’s assent.
Dhankhar alleged that the move was designed to cover up corruption and nepotism.
“25 vice-chancellors were appointed against law, against the directive of the chancellor who is the governor, and promoting inferior talent dictated by patronage, favouritism and nepotism. The rule book, law have been dumped,” Dhankhar said at Siliguri’s Bagdogra airport before leaving for Darjeeling where he plans to work from the British-era Raj Bhawan for a few days.
“Who becomes chancellor and whether the role of the governor can be curtailed are things that I will examine when the paper comes to me. This is a ploy, tactics to generate media optics, to divert attention from what is happening in the recruitment scam. It is the mother of all scams,” he added.
Dhankhar also targeted chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek, without naming him.
While addressing party workers in East Midnapore district on Saturday, Abhishek Banerjee alleged that a small fraction of the judiciary was acting like minions and ordering CBI probe in every case.
“I feel ashamed to say that a very small fraction of the judiciary has become minion. One or two persons are working with an understanding. Not all, only one per cent. They are ordering CBI investigation in every case....,” the Lok Sabha member from Diamond Harbour said at the port town of Haldia, triggering a strong reaction from opposition parties.
Dhankhar, who earlier practised law, expressed his strong reservations.
“Such statements are condemnable. It is contemptuous. Honourable Chief Justice of India had directed prompt action whenever such attacks take place on members of the judiciary. The honourable member of Parliament crossed the red line. This is indicative of a totalitarian regime. This is something far away from Constitution,” said the governor.
Reacting to Dhankhar’s attack, Abhishek Banerjee wrote on Twitter that he spoke the truth.
The tweet said: “I’ve always believed in speaking the truth to power. Yesterday, I said how 1% in Kolkata HC is working in cohorts with Centre in protecting some individuals. People are watching, they know who is actually ‘CROSSING THE RED LINE’. I rest my case here!”
In another tweet, the TMC said: “Once again, the Governor’s selective concern for legality in WB exposes his contradiction & detachment from the actual reality! We’ve always respected the Judiciary but will never bow down before Central Govt’s active interference in judicial matters favouring their agenda.”
On May 26, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh defended the cabinet decision and called the governor “an agent of the BJP.”
On Sunday, TMC Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen said: “The Parliament can see how the BJP is running an autocracy by passing one bill after another against the people. If the Prime Minister can be chancellor of Bengal’s Visva Bharati University, why cannot the chief minister be the chancellor of state-run universities.”
The TMC government’s move has been criticised by opposition parties. Communist Party of India (Marxist) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said veteran academicians should be made chancellors of state-run universities. “We also feel that Indian states do not need governors. The post has become redundant,” he said.
