A day after snub, WB Guv visits Assembly; is received by staff

Kolkata, December 6

A day after high-voltage drama, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar went inside the West Bengal Legislature Assembly complex on Friday through the gate designated for him, and said he is ready to sit for talks with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Dhankhar, who was on Thursday made to wait outside the Assembly as the gate designated for his entry was locked and made entrance through a gate meant for media persons and officials, on Friday went inside with his wife through the gate designated for the Governor.

He was warmly received by House Marshall, other officials and the MLAs.

However, Speaker Biman Banerjee, who was present in the House was not there to receive the Governor, as he was attending a Business Advisory (BA) committee meeting.

Undeterred by his experience the previous day, Dhankhar returned to the Assembly premises on Friday to pay floral tribute at the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary.

Dhankhar, who has been at loggerheads with the TMC government on several issues since his arrival here in July last, said he is ready to sit for talks with the chief minister.

He told reporters at the Assembly that it is not for the first time that he has spoken about it (talks with CM).

“Discussions and dialogues are the only way forward in the Indian Constitution. I am ready to discuss all the matters with the chief minister at any designated place, be it at Raj Bhavan or ‘Nabanna’ (state secretariat).

“It is not that I am saying this for the first time. I have also written to her in this regard. On Tuesday, I had spoken to her over phone,” Dhankhar said.

Lavishing praise on the Speaker, Dhankhar said when he informed the Speaker about his proposed visit to the Assembly on Friday, he was very prompt in replying to his message.

“The Speaker told me as he would be busy with a Business Advisory Committee meeting, so he will not be able to receive me but I would be taken care of,” the Governor said.

Dhankhar had on the previous day not taken the role of the Speaker kindly. He had mentioned in disgust how he had cancelled his invitation for a lunch to him and his wife within one-and-half hours of sending the invite on Wednesday.

A drama had unfolded in full media glare at the Assembly on Thursday as Dhankhar was made to wait outside the Assembly with the gate designated for his entry being locked and the Speaker and staff having gone missing.

Seething with anger, Dhankhar had said, the “humiliation” meted out to the Governor’s post had put the country’s democratic history to “shame” and reflected the “caged democratic atmosphere” prevailing in the state.

The Trinamool Congress, was quick to react, slamming the Governor for overstepping his brief and “aspiring to be the administrative head of the state”.

Since assuming office in July, the Governor has been in a row with Mamata Banerjee’s government over a number of issues, ranging from the seating arrangement at the Durga Puja carnival to his unscheduled visit to Singur.

Further, none of the senior state officials attended the meetings convened by the Governor during his visit to North and South 24 Parganas districts.

The state Assembly returned to work on Friday after it was adjourned for days on Tuesday by the Speaker, saying that the Bills, slated to be placed in the Assembly, were yet to get the Governor’s approval. — PTI