Unlike acrimonious comments made on one another in recent times, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a folded-hands meeting on Monday to reach an agreement to avert “a constitutional crisis” in the state legislative assembly.
Governor Dhankhar was leaving the house without reading his address to West Bengal Legislative Assembly amid ruckus as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members shouted slogans in the house.
The state assembly witnessed chaotic scenes with the MLAs belonging to the BJP raising slogans during Governor Dhankhar’s address and the ruling Trinamool Congress members blocking his way to exit.
The BJP members alleged rigging and violence in the recently concluded civic polls in West Bengal. The TMC countered the BJP’s allegations.
Amid pandemonium, Governor Dhankhar decided to leave the house without delivering his speech. CM Mamata Banerjee, who is also the chairperson of the TMC, reached out to Governor Dhankhar requesting him to deliver his speech.
Mamata Banerjee and Jagdeep Dhankhar were photographed greeting each other with folded hands.
TMC BLOCKS DHANKHAR’S WAY
Earlier, Governor Dhankhar had refused to begin his address to the house as the BJP members shouted slogans, displayed placards and posters as they alleged violence in Bengal civic polls, which they claimed was rigged by the TMC workers.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar talks with Assembly Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay, as he is unable to start his inaugural address due to a protest staged by BJP MLAs over the alleged violence during recent civic polls. (Photo: PTI)
When Governor Dhankhar tried to leave the house without delivering his address, Trinamool Congress members attempted to prevent him from leaving the house. They surrounded his seat obstructing his way to exit. A number of women MLAs belonging to the TMC were part of the legislators who attempted to block his way to exit.
The impasse continued for about an hour before Mamata Banerjee and Jagdeep Dhankhar met with their hands folded. Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee too urged Governor Dhankhar to address the house.
The deadlock was resolved and Governor Dhankhar read the first and last sentences of his speech. Then he left the house.
MAMATA BANERJEE TARGETS BJP
Mamata Banerjee called the ruckus in the assembly “unprecedented” that was a “planned attempt” aimed at creating a constitutional crisis. “Since the governor was leaving the house without reading the address, it would have created a constitutional crisis,” said Mamata Banerjee.
Our boys and girls [MLAs] requested him again and again to read it. Then he [Governor Dhankhar] urged me to persuade everyone to take their seats, which I did and he read his speech,” Mamata Banerjee was quoted as saying.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee interacts with the media at the end of the first day of the Budget session, in Kolkata, Monday, March 7, 2022. (Photo: PTI )
Later, Mamata Banerjee visited the Raj Bhawan to meet Jagdeep Dhankhar and thanked him for averting a constitutional crisis. “What the BJP has done today in the Assembly was a shame on democracy,” she said.
BJP REJECTS MAMATA’S CHARGE
On the other hand, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari dismissed Mamata Banerjee’s charge at the BJP of disrespecting the office of governor and “insulting democracy”. He said the BJP respected the office of the governor but the address was written by CM Mamata Banerjee.
The BJP members were protesting against the chief minister and her government, said Adhikari, who was a minister in the previous Mamata Banerjee government before switching over the BJP ahead of West Bengal Assembly election in 2021. In the polls, Adhikari defeated Banerjee on Nandigram seat.
Adhikari alleged that the TMC members heckled Governor Dhankhar on multiple occasions during the proceedings in the assembly when he tried to leave the house.
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