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Working together with TMC govt: Bengal guv
Kolkata: As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Centre faced questions and violent protests in several states against the new citizenship law, the acrimony
Kolkata: As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Centre faced questions and violent protests in several states against the new citizenship law, the acrimony between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar appeared to thaw, after the chief secretary and the director-general of police met and briefed the governor on law and order situation.
The ruling party, however, upped the ante against the BJP, with chief minister Mamata Banerjee accusing home minister Amit Shah of setting the nation on fire. TMC workers blocked the path of BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya in Murshidababd and police arrested two BJP MPs in Malda district when they tried to visit railway stations that were torched. The government also restored internet services in most places except Howrah.
Dhankhar said the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is a law of the land and its essence is being misrepresented. He also said his meeting with state officials was a “good way forward.”
“If we start engaging ourselves in finding holes we will only complicate the situation. I am a person who has to be in the persuasive mode. Persuasion has helped. If the gate of the state assembly was closed on a particular day, it was open yesterday. The idea is not to carry our wrong legacy ahead. The idea is to get into the correctional mode,” said Dhankhar, referring to the day when he visited the assembly and found the gate meant for the governor closed because the house was adjourned.
“The fact that they have briefed me should be taken as a very very positive indicator by all of us, that we as a state are functioning in togetherness,” Dhankhar added.
On the agitation led by Mamata Banerjee, the governor said, “The leader of a political party can choose any path of protest but as the governor I have conveyed my message to state officials.” This appeared to be a marked shift from his earlier stand.
BJP MPs from Bengal, Khagen Murmu and Nisith Pramanik, were arrested in Malda district when they tried to visit two railway stations that were torched by mobs. Both were released later. Senior district police officials did not comment on the arrests.
In Murshidabad, agitators allegedly blocked Vijayvargiya’s path with vehicles. “I was told that there was a massive traffic congestion. This was orchestrated. I refuse to believe that police cannot clear traffic congestion,” he said.
In Nadia district, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh addressed two public meetings and accused the TMC government of protecting infiltrators and not Hindu refugees from Bangladesh. Though there was sizeable crowd at both meetings, party organisers said they were facing problems because of constant anti-CAA agitation by TMC.
Some trains, such as Kamrup Express, Kanchan Jungha Express and Saraighat Express, all connecting north Bengal and Assam to Kolkata, resumed services on Wednesday, even as several others, including Darjeeling Mail and Teesta Torsa Express, remained cancelled.
