West Bengal Governor directs state Chief Secretary to respond, or face ‘serious consequences’

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has “provided a last opportunity” to state’s Chief Secretary to respond within seven days to Governor’s query on stopping of Suvendu Adkhikari, leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, from attending a programme near Netai, in south Bengal.

The governor has added that a lack of response would be considered a “disregard of the lawful directives” of the Raj Bhavan, and “serious consequences” will follow in due course.

The official twitter handle of the governor, on Wednesday, posted a two-page document, dated January 18, along with a tweet instructing Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi to “comply directives & explain defiance” in a week. The document signed by the governor, warns of the consequences for disregard.

On January 12, Governor Dhankhar had alleged that the state chief secretary and the DGP had “boycotted” a meeting called by him for a second time in three days. A video message posted showed Governor Dhankhar sitting alone with two vacant chairs with name plates for the two officials.

Also Read | West Bengal Governor alleges top state officials ‘boycotted’ his meeting

Adkhikari, the leader of the Opposition (and also a BJP MLA) was allegedly obstructed from attending a ‘martyr’s day’ programme near Netai in south Bengal, on January 7.

Following this incident, Governor Dhankhar had directed the Chief Secretary and the DGP to brief him with a written report on January 10. As both officials were in isolation, the next senior-most officials were called for.

A second opportunity for a meeting was provided on January 12, but neither the senior officials, nor officials next in hierarchy attended the meeting, according to Governor Dhankhar.

The two-page document posted with Governor Dhankhar’s tweet, alleges, “Sequence of events leave no manner of doubt that the defiance and dereliction of duty is extreme at the level of the CS. As a matter of fact this stance has become habitual, unmindful of all lawful objections towards this office or rule of law”. Governor Dhankhar has alleged that the state’s top-most official has not treated the “curtailment” of leader of Opposition’s freedom with “seriousness that it deserved”.

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