Stirred up hornets' nest as West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar reacted to remark, says Abhishek Banerjee

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said it was evident that he had "stirred up a hornets' nest" after the governor responded to his comments on the judiciary.
"Who is responding (to my comments)? The governor. Thik jaygae giye dhil ta legechhe (it hit the bull's eye). I will say nothing more. I respect the judiciary," Banerjee said at a public rally in Shyamnagar, Barrackpore.

"It has been insinuated (by the governor) that I am anxious due to the CBI probe order in the SSC cases. TMC doesn't do politics with CBI, ED or police. We work with people," Banerjee said and added that the Supreme Court and high court are "above all".
"But can't we question judgments aimed to protect only one person? India hasn't been destroyed because 99% of the judiciary has spine," he said.
"I made certain comments on Saturday. The governor said I crossed the line. I ask, who is crossing the line? I said 99% of the judiciary is good. And 1% - that is true in (political) parties too - is protecting some people heeding senior central government officers or officers who can influence. It is my right to criticise a judgment," Banerjee said.
"If someone says you cannot probe a murder case, is it right or wrong?" he continued. "If anyone says there can be no FIR in future against someone, is it right or wrong? Who is crossing the line? And what did I say that the governor had to respond."
"They should stop lecturing," the MP said. "When (BJP leader) Dilip Ghosh disrespected courts after their Hemtabad MLA was found hanging, when (leader of opposition) Suvendu Adhikari made derogatory remarks against our chief minister, did he restrain them? He forgets he is governor for all, not just them. A UP cabinet minister disrespects the judiciary, Tripura (former) CM Biplab Deb insults the judiciary. And they teach me decency," Banerjee added.
"CBI should probe neutrally," he continued. "CM Mamata Banerjee has said this, and I repeat what she has said. But what is CBI's acceptability? For 18 years, they could not trace Rabindranath Tagore's stolen Nobel medallion. The Gyaneshwari probe is still incomplete. And despite Saradha accused Sudipta Sen naming several individuals, did CBI even question them once?"
"Those who went to BJP have now realised their mistake," Banerjee said. "They are making a beeline to return. But I have kept the door closed. If I reveal some names here, mediapersons will stand up to take note. But I ask you whether we should open the door or keep it closed?" he added amid a resounding response to keep the "door closed".
"They (BJP) are uneasy. They had claimed they would get 200 seats (in Bengal) but their train stopped at 70. Now they want to starve people. Over 60,000 jute industry workers have lost their jobs. CM Banerjee was the one who spoke for them. I am grateful that Arjun Singh (Barrackpore MP) also spoke for them," the Trinamool leader said.
"Of the 100 jute mills, 71 are in Bengal; 24 in North 24 Parganas. Now that they have lost the by-elections, they have even stopped the 100-day work funds despite constitutional provisions," Banerjee continued. "The only thing they understand is poll defeat. We have to ensure we wipe them out in 2024 (Lok Sabha polls)."
Guv seeks update on action against MP
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday asked Bengal chief secretary H K Dwivedi to update him by June 6 on the action taken against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s comments on the judiciary. “Chief secretary is to initiate all expected action and update by June 06, 2022 regards public targeting of judiciary by Diamond Harbour MP (over judiciary entrusting investigation to CBI in cases, including the infamous SSC scam), that can neither be overlooked nor countenanced,” the governor tweeted.
In his communication to Dwivedi, uploaded on the governor’s Twitter handle, Dhankhar said the MP through his accusations “scandalises the judiciary, interferes with the due course of justice process and reflects scant respect for the rule of law”.