Governor Dhankhar says the new request lacks ‘jurisdictional competence’ Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday refused to reschedule convening of the Legislative Assembly to 2 pm from 2 am on March 7, saying that state chief secretary HK Dwivedi’s request lacked “jurisdictional competence”.
Dwivedi had on Thursday written to Dhankhar, stating that the state cabinet’s recommendation to convene the Assembly at 2 am was an “inadvertent typographical error”. He requested him to change the timing to 2 pm.
A press release issued by the Raj Bhavan said, “After considering note dated February 24 from the Chief Secretary requesting ‘that the inadvertent typographical error may kindly be condoned and summoning of the Assembly may kindly be considered for approval on 07.03.2022 at 2 PM (instead of 2 AM) Hon ble West Bengal Governor Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has held that from constitutional perspective, no cognizance of the request of the Chief Secretary can be taken seeking variation in the decision of the Cabinet and as such, for want of jurisdictional competence the same is being returned herewith.”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Thursday talked to Dhankhar on the phone to let him know about the typographical error. To end the stalemate, the chief minister has called a state cabinet meeting on February 28.
Dhankhar has said it was “unusual” for the state government to recommend summoning of the state Assembly at midnight. “Invoking article 174 (1) of Constitution, accepting Cabinet Decision, Assembly has been summoned to meet on March 07, 2022 at 2.00 A.M,” Dhankhar had tweeted on Thursday.
“Assembly meeting after midnight at 2.00 A.M. is unusual and history of sorts in making, but that is Cabinet Decision,” Dhankhar wrote.
Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee had said that the timing may have been a “typographical error”.
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