Suvendu Adhikari’s Netai visit: West Bengal govt and governor at loggerheads

The West Bengal government and the Governor are at loggerheads again over stopping Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari to Netai in Midnapore on January 7. The Governor had asked the Bengal Chief Secretary (CS) to visit him on the issue for discussion several times, to which the CS allegedly did not respond.The Governor made a mention in the letter that the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was stopped near Netai from attending the Netai Martyr’s Day programme on January 7.The Governor asked Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi on Wednesday to comply with the directives and explain his stance in a week. Otherwise, the Governor, said in his letter, that “serious consequences will follow” for “intentional violation of All India Service Rules, 1968.”

“Sequence of events leave no manner of doubt that the defiance and dereliction of duty is extreme at the level of the CS. As a matter of fact this stance has become habitual, unmindful of all lawful objections towards this office or rule of law,” the Governor wrote in his letter.“In view of the same, the CS is provided a last opportunity to provide his comprehensive response regarding the above mentioned matter at the earliest, in any case not later than seven days from the receipt of this communication, failing which it will be presumed that he is working in complete disregard of the lawful directives of this office and that his actions are deliberate and intentional violation of the All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968, as a result of which serious consequences will follow in due course. He is also to render full explanation of his acts of omission in the case all through,” the Governor said in the letter, taking serious reservation on the issue.”It is pertinent to mention that the Governor had asked the CS & DGP on January 8 to brief him on the matter “with a written report on January 10”. “Since both of them indicated that they were “in isolation” a directive was imparted on 10.01.2022 to the CS to ensure the presence of ACS Home and the DGP to ensure the presence of the next senior-most police officer in the meeting to be held on January 10 at 11 a.m…”However, Dhankhar said in his letter that there was no response and thus he gave fresh timing on January 12. “Finding no response, they were provided yet another opportunity on 12 January at 11 a.m. to attend the meeting with the undersigned or to depute their senior-most officials, if they continued to be in isolation,” Dhankhar said in his letter today adding, “…However, it is disturbing and concerning to note that neither the CS nor the DGP attended the said meeting and ACS Home and police official next to the DGP also failed to attend the said meeting.”Meanwhile, LoP Suvendu Adhikari met Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar today evening. After the meeting, Dhankhar tweeted, “LOP SuvenduWB called on Guv Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today & demanded thorough probe in criminal diversion of public funds over thousand crores for political purposes by way of sports clubs donations and MAA Canteen.”