Kolkata, May 3 -- Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday strongly criticised Governor C V Ananda Bose for his alleged misconduct towards a woman employee of Raj Bhavan, which came to light on Thursday evening.
Expressing her astonishment over the incident Banerjee said that her "heart bleeds for the woman who was allegedly molested" inside Raj Bhavan.
Speaking at an election rally in East Burdwan, Banerjee said: "Yesterday, a young woman who worked at Raj Bhavan came out and spoke against the Governor's harassment...The tears of the woman broke my heart. I have seen her video testimony. The BJP must answer why the Governor did this to a woman working at Raj Bhavan."
Banerjee also raised questions as to why PM Modi who stayed at Raj Bhavan on Thursday night did not utter a word on the issue. Modi held back-to-back election rallies in Bengal on Friday.
"You (PM) are doing so much drama on Sandeshkhali. We had taken necessary action the moment we found some aberrations. But you spent the entire night at Raj Bhavan even after the allegations by the hapless woman came to light. Why are you silent?," she asked
"The woman cried and walked out of the Raj Bhavan saying she was too scared to work there anymore. The woman said that she was called at odd hours and was subjected to harassment. And these are the people who talk about the dignity of our mothers and sisters?" Banerjee added.
After the allegations surfaced against him, Governor Bose said he would not be cowed down by "engineered narratives" and the "truth shall triumph". In a parallel development, an order was issued by Raj Bhavan banning the police from accessing the Raj Bhavan under the "guise of conducting unauthorised, illegitimate, sham and motivated "investigation" to placate political bosses during elections," escalating the conflict with the state administration.
State Finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya was also barred from entering the Bhavan's premises in the capital city of Kolkata, Darjeeling and Barrackpore for reportedly passing defaming and anti-constitutional media statements against him.
The minister, however, stated that no one can stop her from entering the Raj Bhavan. The TMC also condemned the incident and sought "justice for the victim".
Banerjee also accused the BJP of attempting to intimidate IAS and IPS officers.
"They (BJP) are so scared that they are calling IPS and IAS officers and threatening them to stand by the side of the BJP. The officers are asked to stay away from the Trinamool Congress. Do you think that this news will not reach us," she said.
She also alleged that around 1,500 state police who were taken by the Election Commission for conducting polls in other states were not given postal ballots.
"State police can be taken to other states but why will they not be given postal ballots? Why will the permission not be given? Either you (ECI) give them permission to cast their votes or else I will bring them back to the state. You can do whatever you wish to," Banerjee hit out at the ECI.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.