The battle between Raj Bhawan and Nabanna (State secretariat) intensified in Bengal with State Governor CV Ananda Bose directing a judicial inquiry into the affairs of the State-funded universities. There are about 30 government-universities in the State. 

According to a State official “the governor has realised that all state-run university campuses have become mini-Sandeshkhali. Today, he ordered a judicial enquiry into corruption, violence and misuse of university campuses in West Bengal for electioneering and political purposes.” The news filtered out of the Governor’s House on Friday.

Before ordering the judicial inquiry the Governor reportedly alleged that the affairs in the State-run universities in Bengal resembled the situation of Sandeshkhali where a band of TMC strongmen and leaders had been engaged in land grab and sexual assault.

The allegations of corruption, violence etc would be looked into by a single-member committee of a retired-High Court Judge.

The Friday’s development comes a day after the Governor directed the State Government to sack Education Minister Bratya Basu with whom he had not been enjoying cordial relationship for quite some time. Bose had even alleged earlier that the Basu was destroying the relationship between him and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

According to sources Basu was ordered to be removed from the Cabinet following reports that he had held a meeting with TMC leaders inside the campus of the State-run Gour Banga University.

Though both Basu and Speaker Biman Banerjee have reacted to Bose’s action saying his actions were ultra vires the powers that has been accorded to a Governor of the State, no word has come from the Chief Minister’s office as yet.

“The Governor is the constitutional head and has certain limits within which he has to function … he is not the authority to direct the removal of a minister who enjoys the trust of the Chief Minister and the House … this is beyond the scope of his constitutional power,” Basu earlier said alleging Bose was not acting as the Governor of the State but as the messenger of the BJP and the Raj Bhawan was functioning as a BJP’s party office.

State Speaker Biman Banerjee too said that “despite differences it would have been better had the Governor not initiated certain actions … there are certain constitutional obligations and procedures that require to be followed.” There was no reaction coming from other opposition parties yet.