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Mamata's 'forced to remove' barb at Ananda Bose evokes ex-Guv's response, fresh jibe at R N Ravi
Bose's resignation prompted Mamata to claim that the Bengal Governor may have been pressured by Centre to "serve certain political interests" ahead of the polls
C V Ananda Bose' abrupt resignation as West Bengal's Governor amid a major reshuffle and R N Ravi's appointment as his successor whirlpooled into a political slugfest, with chief minister Mamta Banerjee claiming that Bose resigned “under pressure” from the Bharatiya Janata Party, just weeks ahead of state assembly polls.
Bose's unexpected resignation prompted Mamata to claim that the Bengal Governor may have been pressured by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to "serve certain political interests" ahead of the polls.
In a later statement on Saturday, she called incoming Governor Ravi a "BJP cadre" and added on to her previous claim, stating that Bose's exit was the result of pressure from the Centre.
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"Have you seen how C V Ananda Bose was removed? I know everything. He was threatened. They want to distribute money from Lok Bhavan. They want Lok Bhavan to be converted into a BJP party office. But everybody may not agree to such whims and fancies of Delhi," Mamata alleged.
She further alleged that the Centre is not letting anyone finish their term. “You did the same thing with Jagdeep Dhankhar,” she said, referring to former Bengal governor who later became the vice president.
C V Ananda Bose' clarification
However, rebutting Mamata's claims, Ananda Bose called the decision to step down a "conscious" one, adding that the reasons behind resignation will remain confidential till right time comes.
Responding to a question on resignation, Bose shared a sport analogy, saying, “There is a rule in sports. Rules of the game are also to know when to end the game. When there is an entry, as Governor, I knew that there would be an exit. I was given an opportunity to decide for myself, I decided to resign.”
He further said he has completed 1,200 days as Bengal Governor, or in other words, "12 centuries in cricket". “That's enough. There is a time to stop, I thought this is the right time for me to go to the exit,” he added.
On Friday, a day after the resignation, Bose said he was shifting to Kerala, his home state, to work for ‘Viksit Bharat’.
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In a post on X, Bose said he will work "under the guidance of the national leadership for achieving the goals of this great mission" and do his best to further the cause of our "dear Keralam".
"My innings in West Bengal is coming to a close. I am deeply indebted to the great people of Bengal for the affection and regards lavished on me," he said in a social media post.
Mamata's attack on new Bengal Governor Ravi
Calling R N Ravi a "BJP cadre", Mamata took a swipe at the Governor's tenure tenure in Tamil Nadu, claiming that the governor had faced "many comments" from the Supreme Court.
"The person who is coming to West Bengal now, I heard that he had to face many comments from the Supreme Court. He is a cadre of the BJP. But remember, West Bengal is a different place. You may have done whatever you wanted in Tamil Nadu, but here you can't do that," Banerjee said, without citing specific instances.
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Earlier on March 5, while reacting to Bose' exit and Ravi's appointment, Mamata said she was “never consulted” on the appointment, adding “such actions undermine the spirit of the Constitution”.
Ravi had made headlines in Tamil Nadu over his differences and often public opposition to the DMK government in the state. The Governor and the CM disagreed on a host of reasons, including the appointment of Vice-Chancellors to the State-run universities, the former's assent to bills and even a legal battle in the Supreme Court.
