West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday said he would “socially boycott” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the state government being “negligent in its duties” and not understanding “the sentiments of the people and the society”, and the Governor even went so far as to call the state the “Lady Macbeth of Bengal”. He also said “a lot is rotten in Bengal”.
In a statement, Bose said he was committed to the people protesting against the rape and murder of a resident doctor at RG Kal Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
“Violence is rampant in the state. Violence is rampant in homes, in colleges, in hospitals and on the streets… A silent majority is part of democracy, not silence against the majority. Remember, silence is violence… In solidarity with the Bengali community, I will be socially boycotting the Prime Minister. I will not address any public forum with him. I will not take part in any public programme involving the Prime Minister,” he said.
Bose said proactive action would be taken against any Chief Minister who violates the provisions of the Constitution. He said he had told Chief Ministers to abide by directions given under Article 167 of the Constitution, which states that it is the duty of the Chief Minister to communicate to the Governor all decisions of the Council of Ministers and proposed laws relating to the conduct of government of the state.
“There are many queries from the people as to what steps the Governor is proposing in the current situation… I will abide by the Constitution of India. I am committed to the people of Bengal. I am committed to the parents of RG Kalu’s victims and those who are participating in the protests. In my assessment, the government has not discharged its duty to understand the sentiments of the people and society,” he said.
He also targeted the Kolkata Police Commissioner: “I am deeply troubled by the serious criminal allegations that have been levelled against the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, the person who is supposed to be the top official preventing crime in Kolkata.”
According to the governor, the way the commissioner handled the case was highly questionable.
“The Kolkata Police Commissioner was not invited to the Independence Day celebrations at Raj Bhavan but he barged in. According to legal experts, this is a criminal act. There was a demand from the people that the Commissioner be punished for alleged conspiracy. The matter was also reported to the Prime Minister but no action was taken. Now strict action needs to be taken against the Police Commissioner as per the law… He will be punished under Article 329 of the Constitution of India,” Bose said.
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