Summary:
Kolkata, Jan 26 (PTI) In a deepening of the spat between Governor Jagdeep Dhankar and the TMC-led state government, West Bengal assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee said on Wednesday he has requested for footage of the governor"s press meet held in the assembly premises a day before where he had attacked the state government and accused the speaker of transgressing constitutional norms, before deciding on his future course of action.
Banerjee told reporters on the sidelines of a Republic Day function, that after scrutinising the footage, his office may in future enquire the purpose of any future visits by Dhankar, other than constitutionally mandatory appearances such as the governor"s address of the inaugural session of the house.
Banerjee, a well known lawyer, also alleged that no governor in the past "had addressed the media in the fashion", Dhankhar did on January 25, The Governor while speaking to the press after paying floral tributes at the statue of B R Ambedkar on the Assembly premises on the National Voters Day, not only castigated the speaker and the chief minister but also described the political condition in West Bengal as “horrible and frightening” He said the governor had told the speaker before his visit that he would pay floral tributes to the founder of Constitution but "used the occasion (instead) to criticise the government inside the hallowed premises of the assembly which had never been done by any of his predecessors in past." "He did not even go to the press corner situated in the premises," the Speaker said.
Banerjee also claimed Dhankhar did not inform his office about the status of bills such as those related to separating Howrah and Bally Municipal areas which had been passed by the house.
BJP state President Sukanta Majumdar described the Speaker"s retort as a deliberate attempt to run down the office of governor and against the spirit of constitution.
"The Speaker cannot consider assembly as his domain.