The war of words continued between Raj Bhavan and Nabanna (State secretariat) with Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar once again attacking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s regime saying during her rule Bengal has become a “gas chamber for democracy.”

After paying floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary, the Governor said the “hallowed” State of Bengal was witnessing massive violations of human rights.

“I cannot see this hallowed land getting blood-drenched … now the people say that this State is turning into a gas chamber for democracy… it has become a laboratory for the trampling of human rights,” the Governor said, adding “it is not the rule of law but the law of the ruler that runs Bengal”.

Saying that he would continue to raise his voice against “the wrongs that were being committed”, the Governor said he had been regularly humiliated for doing his duty.

“I tried to alert the Nabanna several times, but every time they sent out the impression that ‘all is well’,” Dhankhar said. “Your Governor has been humiliated … he had to sip blood … how many times he has been abused … but still no one can deter me from raising my voice … no one can stop me from doing my duty,” he added.

When asked to comment on the Governor’s “gas chamber” comments senior Minister Firhad Hakim said if he was feeling so then he should leave the State. Continued on page 2

‘Bengal gas chamber for democracy under TMC’

“If he is really feeling that Bengal is gas chamber then why does he not leave the State or go to Delhi,” Hakim said.

Hakim has often attacked the Governor alleging he was acting like a BJP leader and had turned the Raj Bhavan into a BJP party office said.

The Governor has been at loggerheads with the State Government ever since he took charge in the year 2019. Both the Chief Minister and the Governor had traded fire through open letters.

The Chief Minister is known to have advised the TMC MPs to move a motion against Dhankhar in Rajya Sabha and demand his withdrawal from the State in the upcoming Budget Session. In fact, the State ruling party is likely to pass a resolution against the Governor in the Assembly, sources have said.

Meanwhile, the TMC-BJP battle reached new heights when a BJP leader and close aide of party MP Arjun Singh was on Sunday arrested on charges of the murder of a TMC leader in Barrackpore north of Kolkata.