WB Guv sticks to text, says there’s hatred
Tribune News Service
Kolkata, February 7
The ceremonial Governor’s address in the Assembly, when the constitutional head of the state narrates before the House the achievements of the government during the past year, today passed off peacefully with Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar sticking to the text of the written speech supplied to him by the state government. He said “intolerance, bigotry and hatred” were the “new norms in the country”.
Dhankhar had himself fuelled speculation that he might deviate from the written speech. He dropped plentiful of hints that he was not happy with the government’s performance and that he might bare his mind when he would address the House on Friday on the inaugural day of the Budget session.
A press release issued by Dhankhar last evening gave a fresh boost to the speculation that he was all set to embarrass the government on Friday. In the press release, the Governor revealed that he suggested some changes after going through the text of his address prepared by the state government. But the suggestions were turned down.
Dhankhar managed to create so much confusion that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs came to the Assembly today all set to disrupt his speech, fearing that the Governor might take liberty with his address.
Everyone was taken by surprise as the Governor read out the written speech word by word.
In his address, Dhankhar praised the state’s law and order situation, blamed demonetisation and “hasty implementation of the GST” for the “grave economic slowdown in the country”.
Vijayvargiya detained before pro-CAA rally
Kolkata: BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and senior leaders Mukul Roy and Joy Prakash Majumder were on Friday taken into preventive custody at the start of a pro-CAA rally here. The police said the rally was being held without permission, but the saffron party asserted that it has informed the authorities concerned about it. The state government has started an “autocratic” rule, but the BJP cannot be intimidated, Vijayvargiya said. “The police are not allowing our peaceful rally,” he added. PTI
