In an apparent indication of a meltdown in the tensed relationship between Raj Bhavan and Nabanna (State secretariat) Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday sent cakes and flowers to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar who has been involved in a twitter war with the Bengal Chief Minister and her Cabinet colleagues over a number of issues.
What seemed to be a quid pro quo for the “cordial gesture” shown on the part of the State Government the Governor signed the Municipal (Amendment) Bill within hours of receiving State Education Minister Partho Chatterjee who saw him at Raj Bhavan as a special messenger of the Chief Minister.
The Bill had been held up in Raj Bhavan for quite some time now in the wake of continuous war of words between the two sides when the Chief Minister accused the Governor of being an “RSS man” who was running a parallel administration in the State while the latter lambasted the State administration for failing law and order and lack of courtesy on a whole lot of issues.
“The meeting was cordial and a lot things were discussed,” Chatterjee later said adding the Chief Minister had wished him a happy year ending and a Happy New Year. “Some important issues concerning education were also discussed with the Governor,” he said.
Meanwhile in an unrelated development the State Government on Tuesday shifted 52 officers of the Indian Police Services cadre. The 52 officers included seven deputy commissioners of police from Kolkata, sources said.
The SPs of Murshidabad, Jangipur police district, South Dinajpur, Barasat, East Midnapore were also transferred, sources said adding some of the officers were given promotion too.
Elsewhere members of the opposition BJP on Tuesday staged a road blockade near Jadavpur University and Jadavpur Police Station protesting against the alleged misdemeanor of JU students against their leaders on Monday.
JU students allegedly had a tiff with the BJP activists near the University campus where the saffron leaders were holding a meeting to drive home the “essence” of the Citizenship Amendment Act.
JU students said during the face off one of their lecturers and some students were roughed up by the BJP men. The saffron member however said they were in fact attacked by the members of the CPI(M) and Students Federation of India (SFI).
