TMC has "secret understanding" with BJP : Mohammed Salim

Politburo member Mohammed Salim on Wednesday alleged that the ruling TMC in West Bengal has a "secret understanding" with the BJP-led government at the Centre on the NPR.

Referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement that none of her officials would participate in any meeting on the National Population Register (NPR), he questioned the state chief secretary's visit to New Delhi earlier this month to participate in a census meeting instead of those involved in the survey.

"She (the CM) had said that none of her officers will be participating in the NPR meeting but only the census-related meeting. Then why had the chief secretary gone there ? He has nothing to do with census. Why didn't those involved in it? Look at the profile of the officers who participated in the census meet," Salim told reporters at the party office here.

The Left leader claimed that the other states like Kerala and Punjab who had participated in the census meeting had opposed the NPR and had stressed their stand there.

"But the Bengal government did not do it because they spoke seperately to them (central government). The state government boycotted the meeting because they had spoken to the central government seperately.

"Why did the chief secretary go to the meeting, there was no need for him to do so," he said.

Criticising West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, the CPI-M leader said that the daily mudslinging between him and the state government was not "good" for the administration in the state.

"The governor is a representative of the central home ministry and the manner in which they are appointed these days - the political agenda is very clear. The daily mudslinging between the governor and the chief minister is not good for the day to day administration.

"The Governor is trying to be over smart and trying to outsmart the government machinary or the ministers. He may have some personal agenda, or political agenda or some directives from the central government. But this is totally uncalled for, unnecessary and damaging," he said.

In this situation, the day to day problems of the people of Bengal are not being addressed and the governor should concentrate on the deteriorating condition in the field of education in West Bengal.

The governor is the chancellor of state-run universities in the state.

"This way the day-to-day problems of the people of Bengal are not being addressed. Their problems are the NPR, CAA, the everyday livelihood of the common people, salaries of the worker community, the social security schemes and the problem in the education sector.

"He (the Governor) is the constitutional head of the educational institutions and he should address those things," Salim said.

The governor has had a series of faceoffs with Dhnakhar since he took over office.