On Friday (28th June), West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose filed a defamation case against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Calcutta High Court, PTI reported, citing a source. The development came a day after CM Banerjee alleged misconduct at the Raj Bhavan claiming that women informed her that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhavan because of the activities there.
Before filing the defamation suit, Bose slammed CM Banerjee for her remarks against the Raj Bhavan. He stressed that it was expected of public representatives not to create “erroneous and slanderous impressions”.
Apart from Bengal CM who is also Trinamool Congress party Chief, Governor Bose has also filed defamation suit against a few TMC leaders for making similar remarks, the source added.
Speaking with PTI, the source said, “Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday moved the Calcutta High Court and filed a defamation suit against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party leaders for their comments.”
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen refrained from responding to media queries on this development stating that she will discuss the matter with the party leadership. She told PTI, “I have to talk to my party leadership to find out what actually happened. This is quite a sensitive matter.”
Meanwhile, Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha extended his support to the West Bengal Governor adding that he took the right decision. He said, “I think Governor Bose has taken the right decision. He should have taken this decision long back. I fully support him for this.”
Mamata Banerjee objects to oath-taking ceremony at the Raj Bhavan, alleges women afraid of visiting it
Notably, West Bengal Governor and CM Mamata Banerjee-led TMC have been at loggerheads with each other for some time. However, the recent row erupted on Thursday (27th June) when CM Banerjee accused Governor Bose of creating obstruction in the oath-taking ceremony of two MLAs of her party who recently won the by-polls. While raising an objection about Raj Bhavan being the venue for the oath-taking ceremony, CM Banerjee alleged that women were apprehensive about their safety at the Raj Bhavan.
Addressing an administrative meeting in the state secretariat, Banerjee said, “Nearly a month has passed but my MLAs – Sayantika Bandyopadhyay and Rayat Hossain Sarkar – are unable to take oath. The Governor is obstructing them from doing so. It is the people who have elected them, not the Governor. He cannot deny them the right to take oath.”
She objected to Raj Bhavan being the venue for the oath-taking ceremony and alleged that women were afraid of visiting the Raj Bhavan.
She added, “Why must everyone go to Raj Bhavan? The Governor can authorise the Speaker or Deputy Speaker, or attend the Assembly himself. Women have informed me they are afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to recent incidents reported there.”
Her allegations come in the backdrop of a complaint filed by a contractual woman employee of the Raj Bhavan employee who made molestation allegations against the Governor on 2nd May. Subsequently, the Kolkata Police initiated a probe into her allegations.
Governor Bose had invited the TMC MLAs for an oath-taking ceremony at the Raj Bhavan
Earlier, Governor Bose had invited both the TMC MLAs to take oath at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. However, they declined the invitation. The TMC leaders claimed that as per the convention, the governor assigns the speaker or the deputy speaker to administer the oath to MLAs who register a victory in by-polls. But the governor refused to hold the event in the state assembly and went to New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.
Following the development, Baranagar MLA Sayantika Bandyopadhyay and Bhagabangola MLA Rayat Hossain Sarkar staged a dharna in front of the BR Ambedkar statue in the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha complex. The TMC MLAs demanded that the Governor should enable them to perform their duties as legislators and facilitate their oath-taking ceremony in the state assembly.
