Govt bowing to those with no constitutional authority, says Dhankhar

Governor Dhankhar at a Gandhi memorial in Kolkata on Friday. (Photo by Partha Paul)

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday lashed out at the state government, claiming that power corridors in the state were “getting infested” with extra-constitutional authorities. The administration was bowing to these elements, he added.

“On Gandhi Jayanti to realise the dream of the Mahatma I call upon the police and administration @MamataOfficial to be ‘politically neutral’ and function as ‘public servants’ rather than ‘political workers’. This is quintessential to the survival of democracy and rule of law,” he tweeted, tagging the Twitter account of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Governor paid floral tributes to Gandhi on the occasion of his birth anniversary at a memorial in Barrackpore.

He added, “Power corridors in the state are getting infested with extra-constitutional authorities. The whole administration is bowing down to those who have no constitutional authority.”

Dhankhar requested the CM to take a pledge with him to promote peace and shun violence.

The Governor told Banerjee that freedom and democracy can flourish “when all abjure violence and promote free and fair elections” that, he added, “is the lifeline of democracy”.

Reacting to Dhankhar’s comments, state Information and Technology Minister Bratya Basu said the Governor was acting like a spokesperson of a particular political party.

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