Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday rejected the allegations of sexual assault leveled against him as an "absurd drama," a political "storm" — and a conspiracy by some political parties — which he expected and which was used to facing.
A day after a woman employee at the Kolkata Raj Bhavan alleged that she was sexually harassed by the Governor, Bose blamed the political parties for the "absurd drama," adding he was expecting more such storms in the offing.
His remarks came hours after the Governor's House administration banned entry of State Police and State Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya inside Raj Bhavan.
Bose through an official statement said, "I welcome all the generous allegations and the frequent innuendoes passed on me by some political forces. I understand, my friends, there is more in the offing. But one thing is clear, none of the absurd dramas is going to deter me from my determined efforts to expose corruption and curb violence."
The Governor who left for Kerala — where he belongs — in the day also said "that is the nature of the political forces working in the State, adding, "I have braved many storms. I tell the political party that is plotting against me, this is no storm. This is only a storm in a teacup. Do not be surprised if you realise I am the storm. Bring out all the weapons from your armoury. Use it against me. I am willing. I am prepared. I shall continue my fight for the dignity and respect of my brothers and sisters of Bengal."
In an apparent bid to underscore the "absurdity" of the allegations, Bose a former IAS officer said that he could well be held responsible for the Famine that had hit Bengal or for the Great Calcutta Killings of 1946.
After initial bonhomie between him and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Raj Bhavan's chemistry with Nabanna — State secretariat — had been on a falling track, particularly. The two sides had run-ins on a host of issues including the appointment of Vice Chancellors, corruption and rampant violence in panchayat elections.
Referring to the incident Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee flayed the BJP for using the Raj Bhavan as its party office. Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not sparing a single word on the allegations of molestation leveled by the Raj Bhavan staff against the Governor Banerjee said, "I am quite disturbed by this and here he (Modi) is attacking us but not sparing a single word on what happened at the Governor's House where he spent a night on Thursday."
Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh however backed the Governor saying TMC was capable of arranging such situations to malign a person as high as a Governor. "This is nothing new. This is TMC's politics. I don't know how low they will stoop. They have earlier insulted the President, Prime Minister, Home Minister now they are insulting the Governor … people are watching and people will decide," he said.
The woman who had on Thursday lodged a police complaint against the Governor leveling charges of molestation countered the statement of Bose on Friday narrating the entire incident saying, "I come from an apolitical family and have nothing to do with either BJP or TMC … I have been looking for jobs and have this contractual engagement … Before Thursday he had done this to me earlier on April 25 … not only this he did this to a lady dancer earlier who wrote a complaint and when I was handling that issue my seniors asked me to ignore it."
Referring to the Governor's statements Bengal Minister Shashi Panja said that her party had nothing to do with whatever happened at Raj Bhavan. "Such an allegation against a governor never happened before. This has certainly demeaned the prestige of the chair of the Governor. We demand that an impartial inquiry should be done," Panja said wondering how the same person could who raised his voice against the Sandeshkhali incident could be involved in a similar incident. Her party was not in any way involved in the incident she said.
