Here’s what Governor Dhankhar really wanted to say instead of Mamata’s anti-CAA speech

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar tells ThePrint in an exclusive interview that he was not allowed to raise the issues he really wanted to take up in the speech.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar | ANI file photo

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar wanted his budget speech to touch upon “critical law and order issues” in the state, “policy paralysis in higher education”, “misuse of public funds”, and “politicisation and partisan approach of the bureaucrats”, but his request was “not accepted” by the Mamata Banerjee government.

In an interview with ThePrint, Dhankhar said his intention was “never to criticise the government as he does not hold any malice”. The idea was to secure a wholesome future scenario for the state, he added. 

It was a subject of headlines last week as Dhankhar opened the state assembly’s budget session with a speech prepared by the Mamata government. 

The speech included viewpoints of the Trinamool Congress administration that are at odds with Dhankhar’s stated opinion, including on the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, but the governor nevertheless read out the speech as it was.

A note detailing some of his suggestions about the speech had failed to elicit a response from the government, he said. 

Under Article 176 of the Constitution, the first session of the assembly in any year is supposed to open with an address by the governor. Convention dictates that the speech is prepared by the state government.

A rare show of bonhomie

The start of the budget session on 7 February marked a rare show of bonhomie between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Dhankhar as the latter agreed to read out the government-prepared speech.

However, soon after the day’s proceedings got over, the governor yet again sought a response from the government to the note detailing his suggestions. 

“I had written to the government seeking substitution and addition of some paragraphs,” he said. “The focus area of my suggestions was the critical state of law and order here, policy paralysis in higher education, misuse of public funds and politicisation of bureaucracy,” he added. “I am still waiting for their response.” 

He said he had read out the “scripted speech” because he was left with no other option.

“I (also) suggested to do away with the confrontation between Nabanna (state secretariat) and the Raj Bhavan (residence-office of the governor, and the state and the central government,” he added.

“However, the government did not concede to my suggestion. And I was left with no option other than adhering to the longstanding constitutional and traditional process of reading the speech.” 

Dhankhar alleged that the Mamata government still tried to “censor” his speech.

“State finance minister Amit Mitra’s budget speech was telecast live while the address of the governor, under Article 176, in a sharp deviation to practice, was not allowed live coverage,” he said. 

“Is this an acceptable expression of ideas? Is it not intolerance of the constitutional head? Is it not a kind of censorship?” he added. 

Fresh stand-off 

The relationship between Dhankhar and Mamata has been tense pretty much since he was sworn in last July. The latest stand-off in their ties came this week as the governor issued a showcause notice to the vice-chancellor of a state-owned university for allegedly not inviting him to the convocation. As Governor, Dhankhar is the chancellor of all state-owned universities in Bengal.

Dhankhar has initiated the process for “consideration of removal” of Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University Vice-Chancellor Debkumar Mukhopadhyay — the first time in over a decade that the chancellor has invoked his powers to initiate a V-C’s removal. 

Speaking to ThePrint, the governor said he had sent a “showcause notice to him” and would give the vice-chancellor enough space to explain. 

But the state government has challenged the decision.

West Bengal Education & Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said the decision does not hold any ground and is “insignificant”.

“The governor has no authority to initiate such a process against the V-C,” Chatterjee said. “He cannot do this without the sanction of the government. Moreover, I spoke to the V-C, he said, he had informed the governor but did not get any response.” 

Asked about Dhankhar’s comments on the speech, Chatterjee said, “The governor here is a white elephant. We still don’t know why we need to have such a post. Not only us, but the former governor also thought this.”