Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar expresses concern over security situation ahead of polls

NEW DELHI: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed concerns about the security scenario in the state in light of the upcoming Assembly elections and raised questions over the state administration's role in maintaining law and order after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Saturday.

The governor's interaction with Shah comes days after his meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.

Dhankhar, who had been at loggerheads with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government ever since taking charge as the Bengal governor and criticised the Mamata Banerjee dispensation on several occasions, alleged on Saturday that the state has been "plagued with rampant violence".

"The law-and-order situation and the security environment in West Bengal is under threat. Al Qaeda is spreading, illegal bomb-making is rampant. I'd like to know what are they (state administration) doing?

"The position of the director general of police in Bengal is an open secret. That's why I say we have 'political police'. Everyday I am hearing news of bomb blasts or bombs being found," he claimed in a press briefing after meeting Shah in Delhi.

The ongoing tiff between the West Bengal Governor and the ruling TMC reached a new high recently when a group of party leaders wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding Dhankar's dismissal from the post.

On Saturday, the West Bengal governor said, "It's time for us to set an example by engaging in best practices so that every voter is in a position to express their franchise freely and fairly in a peaceful atmosphere."

The TMC has repeatedly targeted the BJP, saying it is controlled by "outsiders".

Chief Minister Banerjee has also labelled the BJP as a "party of outsiders".

"My heart pains when ignoring constitutional provisions, a child of 'Maa Bharti' is called an outsider in West Bengal because he doesn't belong to the state. We're all the children of 'Maa Bharti' and we believe in our unity. No person living in this land can be an outsider.

"The year 2021 is a challenging year for West Bengal. It's an opportunity for the state to engage in makeover of the image as elections in Bengal have been plagued with rampant violence, compromising basic rights of voters and role of bureaucracy," he said.

Dhankar, who had a meeting with Shah barely a month ago, spoke to the Union home minister for over an hour on Saturday.

Tagging Mamata Banerjee in a tweet, he said, "Called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah today. Had more than an hour interaction as regards various facets of state of affairs @MamataOfficial. Traversed issues of concern."