West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar (File) West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar again directed chief secretary BP Gopalika to brief him on the alleged obstructions to the movement of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari. In a fresh note dated January 28, the Governor directed the chief secretary to visit Raj Bhawan on January 31 at 11 am and brief him on the issue.
In the latest such instance on January 7, Adhikari was stopped by the police from visiting Netai village in West Midnapore while he was on his way to commemorate the victims of the alleged police firing incident of 2014. “In view of CS @MamataOfficial evasive and diversionary response as regards Police @WBPolice repeatedly obstructing LOP, including on January 7 Netai visit, he has been called upon to brief Guv at 11 am on Jan 31, 2020 fully updated on issues flagged,” Dhankhar tweeted.
The Governor had earlier sought the physical presence and response from the chief secretary and the DGP on the issue. However, he was told that several top officials of the state administration were either down with Covid-19 or were busy with pandemic management or Gangasagar Mela. Dhankhar, thereafter, sought the presence of additional chief secretary (Home) and ‘a police official’ next to DGP to brief him on the issue. But that, too, was allegedly ignored by the state government.
In another note on January 18, the Governor gave an ultimatum to the chief secretary to brief him on the issue. The latter responded in writing on January 25. “January 25, 2022 response by Chief Secretary, in spite of issues being pointedly flagged, does not advert to any of the issues indicated. It is dilatory, diversionary and certainly derogatory to this office apart from being in flagrant violation of applicable conduct legal regime. In view of the fact the conduct of Chief Secretary, the fulcrum of administration in the State was involved, I thought it prudent to afford last opportunity vide my Note dated January 18, 2022…,” the Governor wrote in his fresh note.
“…The January 25, 2022 response of the Chief Secretary in the backdrop of this fact situation leaves no doubt that there is determined resistance to imparting information sought. In this premise, the Chief Secretary be called upon to be present on January 31, 2022 at 11.00 a.m. fully updated with the issues already flagged, including under whose ‘directive’ the messages were imparted on 10.1.2022 at 10.49 a.m; why there wa absence of ACS Home and the Police official next to the DGP in the scheduled meeting on 10.1.2022 and why no report from their end was sent on the issue of ill-treatment of Hon’ble Leader of the Opposition Shri Suvendu Adhikari…,” the Governor added.
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