Bengal Governor opens anti-corruption cell; Mamata terms it interference in state affairs

Mamata Banerjee, however, said this is not the job of the Raj Bhavan and he is unnecessarily interfering with the state's rights

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Wednesday inaugurated an ‘anti-corruption cell’ at the Raj Bhavan here, triggering Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to term this as an attempt to interfere in the functioning of the state’s administration.

While Bose said the cell would not “infringe on others’ turf” but help common people forward their complaints to the competent authorities, Banerjee alleged that the Governor is “wearing a mask” and “working under instructions of the BJP”.

---

“At the anti-corruption cell, we are trying to give voice to the voiceless. In the days of violence, Raj Bhavan is trying to be a friend of the unfriended poor. When the ‘Peace Room’ was set up, there were apprehensions. We will not try to infringe on the turf of others. We will certainly try to confine ourselves within the Lakshman Rekha,” Bose said.

The governor had opened a ‘Peace Room’ at the Raj Bhavan to address violence-related complaints from people in districts during the recently held panchayat elections.

“Do not give money to anyone. We will not allow that. If someone wants money, take his picture and send it to me. This was said in Cooch Behar by my constitutional colleague CM of West Bengal. This is precisely what we are trying to implement,” the governor said, referring to the chief minister’s recent remarks at a rally.

Banerjee, however, said this is not the job of the Raj Bhavan and he is unnecessarily interfering with the state’s rights.

“I can see that he (Bose) is wearing a mask and working under the instructions of the BJP,” she told reporters.

Banerjee said that the Governor’s responsibilities have been specified in the Constitution.

The chief minister alleged that Bose had appointed a person from his home state Kerala as vice chancellor of a university in West Bengal, though he had no experience in the field of education.

“When (Jagdeep) Dhankhar was the Governor, we had several controversies but he never did this. He (Bose) has appointed one person from Kerala as the vice chancellor of Aliah University. That is not the rule. The state proposes a name that gets the Governor’s approval,” she said.

Dhankhar who was the Governor of West Bengal between July 2019 and July 2022 was later elected as the Vice-President of the country.