Kolkata:
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar fired yet another salvo at the West Bengal government on Saturday saying that nobody should cross the ‘Lakhsman rekha’.
The governor and the Mamata Banerjee government have been involved in a war of words.
“As the governor of the state it is required that I adhere to the mechanism that is spelt out in the Indian Constitution – what I am supposed to do and not do”, he said at an event here.
“None is expected to cross the Lakhsman rekha”, he said.
The verbal spat between the Trinamool Congress government and the governor started soon after he assumed office in July end on a number of issues.
The two sides have been locked in a war of words a number of issues — ranging from Dhankhar’s seating at the Durga Puja carnival to comments on his security since he rushed to Jadavpur University on September 19 to “rescue” Union minister Babul Supriyo, who had been gheraoed by a section of students.
The latest issue was the state government’s refusal to provide the helicopter sought by Dhankhar to travel to Murshidabad for a programme and return to the city on Friday.
The government had called the governor’s request for a chopper “absurd” and “misuse of public money”, while Dhankhar in a veiled attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said “some people are using their tongue too often and very loosely” without understanding his statements.
Dhankhar had also said politics over distribution of relief in areas hit by Cyclone Bulbul hurt democracy, to which
Banerjee responded sharply saying that a person occupying the gubernatorial post should not try to run a parallel administration.
Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee went on record saying that the governor was not acting within his Constitutional jurisdiction by commenting on matters relating to the working of the government.
Dhankar attempted to convene administrative meetings in several places Siliguri but evoked only lukewarm response from invitees, who were state government officials.
He repeatedly countered by saying that what he was doing was well within his Constitutional limits and he was well aware of that.
