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West Bengal Minister CV Ananda Bose on Sunday said he respects Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a person and has a professional relationship with her but “Mamata Banerjee the politician” is not “my cup of tea”.
In an interview with PTI, the West Bengal governor, who has often been at loggerheads with the Trinamool Congress government led by Banerjee, spoke candidly about their differences.
Asked about his relationship with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bose said: “Which Mamata Banerjee? There are three Mamata Banerjees in front of me.” “The first is Mamata Banerjee the person. I have a good relationship with her. The second is Mamata Banerjee the chief minister. I have a professional relationship with her. The third is Mamata Banerjee the politician, that is not my cup of tea,” he said.
“During the elections, she mixed issues. The chief minister and politicians mixed and made some statements. I also became an individual and not a governor. I sued her for damages and for defamation. Such is the complexity of the relationship,” he said.
“Besides this, Mamata Banerjee is my friend. The chief minister is my colleague and I am not a politician,” he said.
“Politicians play certain roles in their own way. I won’t let that affect my self-esteem. That’s how relationships work,” he said.
A contract worker at Raj Bhavan accused the governor of sexual harassment. The internal preliminary inquiry report of the Raj Bhavan panel rejected the allegations.
As Banerjee and TMC leaders attacked these allegations, Bose filed a defamation case against Banerjee and some other TMC leaders following which the Calcutta High Court issued an interim order restraining them from making any defamatory or incorrect statements against the Governor till August 14.
The West Bengal government has moved the Supreme Court against the Governor for refusing assent to eight bills, but he said there are no bills pending before his office.
“If I put it lightly, the only bill pending in the Bengal Governor’s House is the fuel bill. No government bill submitted in the Parliament is pending there,” he claimed.
“Eight bills are currently pending before the governor. Six bills have been left for the president to consider. One bill will be left for discussion with the government office to clarify certain issues,” he said.
“Once they come seeking clarification, the bills will be approved or one action or another will be taken. A bill is pending.
“Otherwise, out of the eight bills they pointed out as awaiting the governor’s consideration, not a single bill has been passed by the assembly,” he said.
The governor has asked the state government to come out with a white paper on the state’s finances, claiming that financial management in the state has been “slow”, adding that he will decide whether to take “action” in accordance with the Constitution based on the outcome of the white paper.
“Bangladesh’s financial management is very slow, bad and unbalanced in many ways. I can also conclude that there is something wrong with the budget or finances in many ways,” he said.
“There was a real collapse in Bengal, if I may say so.
“But instead of imposing my views on the government, I asked them to provide a white paper, their own assessment of what is actually happening in the field. The white paper will allow them to do a reality check,” he said.
He said it was his constitutional duty to uphold the Constitution and ensure welfare of the people of West Bengal.
“If not, then action must be taken. What action can be taken? The Constitution is also very clear about that. I have not made up my mind yet,” he said.
“I will take a decision based on the white paper. Whenever the white paper comes out, I am willing to wait. Because my intention is to correct, not to blame anyone,” he said.
Asked what action might be taken, he said: “The Constitution is very clear. If there is a problem or dysfunction in the financial management of a state, certain provisions of the Constitution are clear.” “As governor, I will not be clear because I have not yet decided whether I should move in those directions,” he added.
(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from United News Agency – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf）
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