Politician Mamata Banerjee 'Not My Cup of Tea', Good Relations With Her As Individual: West Bengal Governor

Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday said he respects Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as an individual and has professional relations with her but the “politician Mamata Banerjee” is “not my cup of tea”.

In an interview with PTI, the West Bengal Governor, who has often been at loggerheads with Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress Government, spoke candidly about their differences.

Asked about his relationship with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bose said, “Which Mamata Banerjee? There are three Mamata Banerjees in front of me.” “One is the individual Mamata Banerjee. I have a very good relationship with her. Second is the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. I have professional relations with her. Third is the politician Mamata Banerjee, that’s not my cup of tea,” he said.

“During elections, she mixed up the issues. The chief minister merged with the politician, made certain statements. I also became an individual, not the governor. I sued her for damages, for defamation. That is the complexity of the relationship,” he said.

“Otherwise, Mamata Banerjee is my friend. The chief minister is my colleague and I am not a politician,” he said.

“Politicians play certain roles in their own way. I won’t allow that to interfere with my self-respect. There the relationship stands,” he said.

Allegations of sexual harassment were made against the governor by a contractual employee of Raj Bhavan. An in-house preliminary inquiry report by a Raj Bhavan panel has dismissed the charges.

Amid attacks by Banerjee and TMC leaders over the charges, Bose had moved a defamation suit against Banerjee and some other TMC leaders, following which Calcutta High Court restrained them from making any defamatory or incorrect statement against the Governor in an interim order till August 14.

With the West Bengal government moving the Supreme Court against the Governor for allegedly withholding assent on eight bills, he said there are no bills pending with his office.

“If I go into the lighter vein, only bill which is pending in the Bengal Raj Bhavan are the fuel bills. No bill of the government which is sent by the Assembly is pending there,” he claimed.

“There is a case that eight bills are pending with the Governor. Six bills have been reserved for the President. One bill is kept for discussion with the offices of the Government on certain clarifications,” he said.

“Once they come for clarification, those bills will be cleared or action will be taken this way or that way. One bill is sub-judice.

“Otherwise, there is no bill passed by the Assembly among the eight bills that they have pointed out pending with the Governor,” he said.

The governor, who has asked the state government to come up with a White Paper on the state’s finances, alleged that financial management in the state is “tardy”, adding that depending on the white paper he will make up his mind about taking “action” as per the Constitution.

“In many respects, financial management is very tardy, very poor and lopsided in Bengal. I could also come to the conclusion that, in many respects, the budget or the finance is seeing a breakdown,” he said.

“There is a meltdown, rather, if I may say so, in Bengal.

“But instead of imposing my views on the government, I asked them to give a White Paper, their own assessment of the factual situation in the field. The White Paper will enable them to have a reality check,” he said.

He said it’s his constitutional duty to uphold the Constitution and ensure the well-being of the people of West Bengal.

“If that is not there, action has to be taken. What is the action that can be taken? It is also spelt out very clearly in the Constitution. I have not made up my mind on that,” he said.

“I will make up my mind, depending on the White Paper. Whenever it comes, I am willing to wait. Because my intention is to correct, not to accuse anybody,” he said.

Asked what kind of action may be taken, he said, “The Constitution lays down clearly. If there is a breakdown, or aberrations in the financial management of a state, there are certain constitutional provisions that are very evident.” “As Governor, I am not spelling it out because I have yet to make up my mind whether I should proceed in those directions,” he added.