Kolkata: Triggering a fresh political row, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s office said Thursday the Mamata Banerjee government did not respond to his request for a helicopter for a day trip to Murshidabad. He left for the district by road Friday morning.
Dhankhar is to attend a programme at an educational institute in Murshidabad’s Farakka, nearly 300 km from Kolkata, as chief guest Friday.
“About 600 kms of journey in the same day is being taken by Governor Dhankhar as the request for a helicopter made to the state government well in time has not found so far favourable considerations,” said a Raj Bhavan statement issued Thursday.
Dhankhar tweeted Friday morning that he left for Farakka by road at 5 am.
“Leaving Raj Bhawan by road at 5 am along with the First Lady Smt Sudesh Dhankhar to attend Silver Jubilee Celebration function at the Professor Syed Nurul Hasan College FARAKKA,” he posted.
Leaving Raj Bhawan by road at 5 am along with the First Lady Smt Sudesh Dhankhar to attend Silver Jubilee Celebration function at the Professor Syed Nurul Hasan College FARAKKA
— Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) November 14, 2019
The governor’s office said the issue of no response over the helicopter was duly flagged to the state’s chief secretary. After not getting a reply from him, the governor wrote to the chief minister.
All such communication, however, remained unaddressed, added the statement.
The incident comes just a month after a similar drama played out in the state over the governor’s security cover. Dhankhar had then requested the Ministry of Home Affairs for central security.
ThePrint reached West Bengal chief secretary Rajiva Sinha for a comment but there was no response until the time of publishing this report.
However, senior state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya told reporters, “We need to know why does he need a helicopter. It’s public money that we spend on choppers.
“(The) chief minister took the choppers for the aerial survey after the cyclone. But why does the governor need it? People need to know. Everyday he is trying his luck in politics and I am afraid this will not go down well with the people,” added Bhattacharya.
Also read: Bengal must enforce rule of law to reverse ‘flight’ of industrialists: Governor Dhankhar
The West Bengal battle
The latest incident is set to escalate the ongoing conflict between Dhankhar and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
Dhankhar, who was appointed in July, is seen as one of the most ‘pro-active’ governors in West Bengal’s recent history. Unlike his predecessors, he keeps visiting districts, accepts most of the invitations extended to him, and also meets individuals and groups to build a ‘connect’ with the people.
The Trinamool Congress, however, calls him as the “main opposition leader” in the state.
In a public statement Thursday, without naming Dhankhar, CM Banerjee said, “There are some people who are working like BJP’s mouthpiece. In my state, you can see what is happening. They are trying to run a parallel administration.”
Calling for the integrity of the “federal structure” to be maintained, Banerjee said, “State government should also be allowed to work. Some nominated persons are behaving in a weird way. They should not supersede the central government. I hope that the Centre would take a note of it.”
Over the last three months, there have been several clashes between the governor and TMC leaders.
In October, Dhankhar said he was almost “blacked out” in a government programme organised to celebrate Durga idol immersion. He also wasn’t invited to the Kolkata International Film Festival, organised by the state government and inaugurated by the chief minister last week. Dhankhar’s visit to the Singur block development office on his way back from the convocation ceremony of Visva-Bharati University earlier this week also irked Banerjee and her party.
Also read: Jagdeep Dhankhar isn’t first, Mamata has been on the warpath with every Bengal governor
Dirt poorBengal has a public debt of over 4 lakh crore, as Bengalis are lazy and demotivated, as well as due to militant trade unionism, no industry or taxes can be raised there. Being a governor of a backward and dirt poor state is a demotion…..poor fellow
Arvind Kejriwal is the most educated, sincere, honest, naive and humble CM in entire India. He has changed the face of Delhi. Even foreign countries have appreciated his efforts but some Indians are born to defame others because they are jealous and pathetic. Most Indians are after blind faith in some ppl and ultimately this results in getting brainwashed.