West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is scheduled to visit areas affected by post-poll violence in the Cooch Behar district on Thursday.
Making the details of his tour public on Wednesday, Dhankhar tweeted, “West Bengal Governor will reach Cooch Behar by BSF Helicopter at 11 am on May 13 to visit post-poll violence-affected areas @MamataOfficial. Governor will visit places at Mathabhanga, Sitalkuchi, Sitai and Dinhata. Governor will meet people & media at CB Circuit House.”
Dhankhar also announced that on Friday he will fly to Assam where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers claim that people from North Bengal have taken shelter to escape the violence that erupted after the Bengal assembly poll results were announced on May 2.
However, his visit has triggered a row with the state government. State chief minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to him claiming that his planned visit to the Cooch Behar district violates norms.
In her letter, Banerjee also alleged that Dhankhar, exceeding his power, has been directly communicating with state government officers and dictating them, though she had earlier requested him to refrain from doing so.
“I find from social media that you are unilaterally proceeding to the district of Cooch Behar on 13-5-2021 and, sadly, I find that to be violative of the long-standing norms as evolved over several decades. I, therefore, would expect that you will kindly follow the well-established norms of protocol, as stated above, and desist from abrupt decisions about field visits,” the letter read.
Reacting strongly to Banerjee’s statements, the governor hit back, saying he has been following the Constitution since taking oath as the governor and his visit to Cooch Behar was to share the pain and agony of the people suffering from post-poll violence and advised the CM to commit herself to the Constitution as she has taken an oath to uphold it.
“(The) Constitution mandates me under Article 159 that I will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and the law and that I will devote myself to the service and well being of the people of West Bengal.
I would do all that is expected out of my oath and constitution,” Dhankhar said in response.
He further added: “I am appalled that a leader of your stature should be even contemplating that in making visit the Governor has to obtain orders of the Government.
“Surprising that you became aware of this constitutionally untenable provision at a time when my visits are to share the pain and agony of suffering people. I am just not persuaded by your stance. There would be no sane takers of this.”
