Strongly criticising West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her intolerant and whimsical behaviour, Press Council of India chairman Markandey Katju warned that she would lose power if she failed to mend her ways.
In a letter written to Banerjee, Katju wrote: “I am your well wisher, and would like you to do well, and in fact, if you remember, I had praised you at one time. But of late you seem to have become increasingly intolerant and whimsical, which is only going to land you in big trouble.”
Reminding Banerjee about the Arthashastra where Kautilya said a successful ruler is one who appoints good advisers and listens to them, Katju said: “Your ministers and bureaucrats are afraid to speak their minds fearlessly and are terrorised by your unpredictable and whimsical behaviour. This is a very unhealthy state of affairs and you will not be able to remain as chief minister for long unless you change your ways and become more tolerant.”Requesting her to reinstate Damayanti Sen earlier removed after she cracked the Park Street rape case, the former Supreme Court judge said: “You should immediately restore Damyanti Sen, the upright police officer, whom you wrongly victimised, and you should openly apologise to her.”
Facebook case
Referring to Maharashtra Chief Minister who ordered the suspension of the police officers behind the arrest of the Mumbai girl in Facebook case, Katju advised Banerjee to follow suit and suspend the policemen who ordered and implemented the arrest of Prof Mahapatra of Jadavpur University and Siladitya Choudhari and requested her to withdraw the cases.
“We are all human beings and we all make mistakes but a gentleman is one who realises his mistake and apologises. You should also apologise to Tanya Bharadwaj whom you insulted on the television show,” he wrote referring to the student who questioned the chief minister.
Asked to comment on Katju’s letter, Banerjee told reporters at Writers Building: “I have not received any letter. This government will not function at anyone’s diktat. If somebody thinks that he will make us work by force and threat, it will not happen.”
“The government is for the people, by the people and of the people”, she said, adding: “My government is for democracy and will be for democracy. We took action against our own partymen.”
