West Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee has alleged that the State’s Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was interfering in his area of work.
Mr. Banerjee said he had directed thet Central security personnel not to enter the premises of the State Assembly a few weeks ago, after some media personnel alleged that they were being harassed by them. The Speaker said the Governor tried to interfere in this matter, which was entirely his jurisdiction.
Mr. Banerjee had raised the issue before the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during the virtual All-India Speaker’s Conference. He said at the meeting that the Governor did not accord his sanction to Bills passed by the State Assembly.
Differences between the State government and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had surfaced on numerous occasions, but this is the first time the Speaker of the State Assembly has complained against him in a public forum. Earlier, there was a controversy when a session of the State Assembly was convened without the Governor’s address to the House.
The Speaker also raised the death of MLAs due to COVID-19 infection during the meeting with the Lok Sabha Speaker. Mr. Banerjee said nine MLAs died and blamed it on the eight-phase Assembly elections in the State.
Earlier this month, four-time Trinamool Congress MLA from Gosaba, Jayanta Naskar, died due to post COVID-19 complications.