Bengal Governor leads search operation at Raj Bhavan for ‘arms’ post TMC MP’s allegations

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday led a team of security personnel involved in a search operation at Raj Bhavan in the wake of allegations by a TMC MP that arms and ammunition were stacked within its premises, an official said.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee had on Saturday accused Bose of “sheltering BJP criminals” inside Raj Bhavan and “arming them with bombs and guns”.

“Governor Bose is leading the team of personnel, comprising the Kolkata police officers and central forces, the bomb squad and dog squad to find out whether there are arms and ammunition stacked inside,” the official said.

Bose, who was on a short trip to North Bengal, cut short his tour to spearhead the operation, which started from the ground floor of Raj Bhavan around 2.15 pm, he said.

“There was also deployment of personnel at Raj Bhavan Police Outpost. Officials of the disaster management and civil defence departments are also participating in the search,” he said.

To facilitate the combing operation, the Raj Bhavan premises have been evacuated.

Members of the civil society and journalists were allowed to accompany Bose during the exercise, which is being “live streamed”, the official said.

The TMC MP had made the allegations on Saturday, hours after Bose said that Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was essential to “clean up the election process”.

Bose on Sunday said he sought legal opinion over Banerjee’s allegations, prompting the lawmaker to say he is ready for a battle in court and that he cannot be intimidated.