Remarks on Guv not defamatory, Mamata tells HC
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee opposes defamation suit by Governor Ananda Bose over women's safety comments at Raj Bhavan; legal battle escalates.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday opposed a defamation suit filed against her by governor CV Ananda Bose in the Calcutta high court, defending her statement that women had expressed fear about visiting the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.
Bose, represented by his lawyer, sought to restrain Banerjee, two newly elected legislators of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and another party leader from making further comments in connection with the alleged incidents at the Raj Bhavan.
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Senior advocate SN Mookherjee, representing Banerjee, argued before justice Krishna Rao that her remarks were a fair comment on issues of public interest and not defamatory. Mookherjee also defended the chief minister’s comments, saying they merely echoed the apprehensions of women over certain alleged activities at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.
The court was hearing an application from Bose in the defamation suit seeking an interim order restraining the chief minister, the two newly elected MLAs — Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar — and TMC leader Kunal Ghosh. An order on the application will be passed later.
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“The governor’s suit, against the chief minister, two TMC legislators and myself, is baseless. I don’t understand who has been defamed and how. The governor has been wrongly advised. I don’t want to comment on what the high court may order. But where is the question of defamation coming from? Neither I, nor the chief minister has defamed him,” Ghosh said.
If anyone has been allegedly defamed, ideally, they should file the suit, Ghosh said. “But I heard that the suit was filed by somebody on the governor’s behalf. The chief minister respects the governor and the Raj Bhavan. On the contrary, the governor had become the voice of the BJP.”
Bose filed the plea in the high court after Banerjee’s comments that she had been informed by some women that they did not feel safe visiting the Raj Bhavan due to allegations of sexual harassment against the governor by a former employee.
On May 2, a contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan had made an allegation of molestation against Bose, following which the Kolkata Police started an inquiry.
Under Article 361 of the Constitution of India, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a governor during their term in office.
“The BJP will not enter into this. I am not the spokesperson of Raj Bhavan or the Governor,” Samik Bhattacharya, BJP spokesperson said.
Relations between the West Bengal government and the Raj Bhavan is at an all-time low. Besides the defamation suit, the West Bengal government and governor Bose are also involved in a legal battle over the appointment of vice-chancellors (VCs) of seven universities in the state.