New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien waded into the war-of-words between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Wednesday, calling the latter an ‘RSS Sakha Pramukh’. In a Facebook post, the Trinamool Congress leader said wondered if “the bedsheets and towels" in Raj Bhavan would have BJP logos.
Communal clashes in the state’s North 24 Parganas district have heated up the political scene as well, with Mamata Banerjee accusing the Governor of acting like "a BJP block president" and "threatening" her. The Raj Bhavan had voiced surprise over Banerjee's "attitude and language", and said, "the Hon'ble Governor cannot remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the state."
Echoing Mamata’s position a day later, O’Brien said it was time for the Governor “to go". “Bengal Governor sounding like RSS Sakha Pramukh, time for him to go. Yes, the Governor has used unacceptable language in his telephone call to the Chief Minister. It is very unfortunate that the Raj Bhavan in Bengal has converted into an RSS shakha. It’s almost like all the bedsheets and towels and everything in Raj Bhavan now have BJP logos. The Governor is not sounding like a Governor anymore, who is supposed to protect the Constitution. He is sounding like a shakha pramukh – this is completely unacceptable," the MP said in his Facebook post.
Backing his party chief, O’Brien said Banerjee was not given the post of the CM by other political parties, but by the people of Bengal. “What happened during that phone call is unacceptable. She is a democratically-elected Chief Minister. It’s not as if the BJP, the Congress or the CPI(M) has sent her here. Ten crore people of Bengal have sent her here," said O’Brien.
Tripathi, a former BJP veteran and ex-speaker of Uttar Pradesh assembly, was appointed West Bengal governor after the Narendra Modi government was formed in 2014.
The violence between two communities at Baduria under Basirhat sub-division in the district started on Monday night over the post following which a young man was arrested, the police said. A violent mob put up road blockades at several places and attacked members of other community, besides destroying many shops, they said.
A senior Border Security Force (BSF) officer said four companies comprising 400 troops of the force's South Bengal Frontier have been deployed in Bashirhat, Swarupnagar, Baduriaand Devganga areas to assist the state police in containing the situation.
(With PTI Inputs)
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