By PTI
KOLKATA: West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay, who has had several run-ins with Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar in the recent past, on Saturday said he has written to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise them of Dhankhar’s “interference” in legislative matters.
The speaker had earlier expressed anguish over Dhankhar’s insistence to administer oath to TMC MLAs, including CM Mamata Banerjee, after the September 30 elections.
He had engaged in a war of words with the governor over appointment of Mukul Roy as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman.
The two have also sparred over a bill seeking separation of Bally Municipality from Howrah Municipal Corporation.
The bill has been passed by the Assembly and is waiting for the governor’s assent.
“I have written to the PM and the President to complain against his (governor’s) tendency to violate constitutional conventions, and interfere in legislative matters. His conduct does not befit the constitutional head of a state,” the speaker told PTI.
Bandopadhyay recently alleged that polls to Howrah Municipal Corporation were getting delayed with the governor taking time to give his assent to the bill.
Dhankhar on his part said he was yet to get documents that he sought pertaining to the bill.
Dismissing media reports that claimed he had approved exclusion of areas of Bally Municipality from the jurisdiction of Howrah civic body, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said it is under consideration as inputs from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are awaited.
He had earlier accused the TMC government of not providing information he sought on Howrah Municipal Corporation amendment bill sent to him for his assent.
Taking to Twitter, he said “Reports in media that West Bengal Governor Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has put his seal of approval on the Howrah Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 are not correct. It is under consideration under Article 200 of Constitution as inputs @MamataOfficial are awaited.”
Article 200 of the Constitution empowers a governor to either give or withhold assent to a bill or reserve it for the consideration of the President.
The Howrah Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that proposed to separate Bally Municipality from the jurisdiction of the HMC, was passed by the state assembly recently.
Ruling Trinamool Congress spokesman Kunal Ghosh said, “The governor is going beyond his jurisdiction. He should give assent to a bill passed by the house if he hasn’t as he claims.”
Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari said the governor has already pointed out that he has not given his nod to the bill.
“It is upto the governor, it is his discretion. The TMC should not force him and use the gubernatorial office for its political gains,” he added.
West Bengal State Election Commissioner Saurav Das had called on Dhankhar on Friday and discussed issues related to pending municipal polls in the state, amid allegations of rigging and intimidation against the ruling TMC by opposition camps during the December Kolkata Municipal Corporation election.
Election to 111 municipal bodies are due in West Bengal.
