Bureaucrats have turned into puppets of ruling party: Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar

“The bureaucrats have become puppets in the hands of the state’s ruling party. There is no space for the opposition’s voice in the state. Unless we work hard this system will never change. I am saddened by the silence of the state’s intellectuals and members of the civil society. My question to them is can appeasement be allowed in the bureaucratic system. This is actually against the basic essence of democracy,” Dhankhar told reporters outside Bagdogra Airport in north Bengal.

Hitting out at the state government, the Governor said, “We have been hearing tall claims of investments in the state for the past three years. But, in reality, no such investments materialised as yet. Unless we open up against the system, the future generation will never forgive us.”

The Governor also alleged that there is “no space available in the state for political activity of opposition parties”. Dhankhar claimed that development and empowerment have been “communalised” in the state in terms of finance and government jobs. “Communalised patronage is antithetical to democratic values. We are witnessing extreme appeasement …. this appeasement will destroy our democracy,” he said.

Dhankhar also claimed that it will generate a “serious imbalance” in society. “WB Guv appeals to Civil Society, intelligentsia and media to break the silence and highlight worrisome governance scenario of extreme appeasement, communalised patronage, mafia syndicate extortion in the state as this would help to enhance of democratic values & human rights protection,” Dhankhar said on Twitter.

The ruling Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, reacted sharply to the Governor’s statements. “The Governor has only two tasks now: unnecessarily criticising the state government and posting messages on Twitter. If he behaves like a representative of a party, he will lose his respect as the Governor of the state,” said TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee.

Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee also criticised Dhankhar. “The Governor House is losing its honour because of the biased behaviour of the current Governor. Even we are saddened by the manner he is using the Governor House,” said Banerjee.

TMC MLA Idris Ali, meanwhile, accused Dhankhar of being “communal”. “He is a communal person. The way he is behaving is highly condemnable,” alleged Ali.

The TMC and Dhankhar have been at loggerheads over various issues since he took charge as the governor of the state. The ruling party had in the past accused him of partisan behaviour, and even called him an “agent of the BJP”.

— WITH PTI INPUTS