Governor Says No Response From Mamata On Invitation To Raj Bhavan For Discussion

Weeks after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she had blocked Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Twitter, he has sought information from her on various issues.

Dhankhar said that he had written to the chief minister on February 15 inviting her to visit him at the Raj Bhavan during the week to discuss several issues to avert a “constitutional stalemate”.

Tweeting the letter seeking Banerjee’s time for an interaction at the Raj Bhavan, the governor on Thursday said, “Dialogue and discussion, particularly amongst constitutional functionaries, are quintessential to democracy.”

Dhankhar, who has repeatedly accused the chief minister of non-cooperation, wrote on Twitter that he did not receive any response from the state government on various issues.

“Hon’ble CM Mamata Banerjee has been urged to make it convenient for an interaction at Raj Bhavan anytime during the week ahead as lack of response to issues flagged has potential to lead to constitutional stalemate which we both are ordained by our oath to avert,” Dhankhar tweeted.

“Impressed upon Hon’ble CM Mamata Banerjee that ‘Dialogue, discussion and deliberation, particularly amongst constitutional functionaries, like the Chief Minister and the Governor, are quintessential to democracy and inseparable part of constitutional governance’,” he said in another tweet.

In his February 15 letter, Dhankhar wrote that the Constitution never supports such a role of the state and according to a specific article of the Constitution, he has the right to demand an answer.

Dhankhar complained that a few days ago, the governor summoned the chief secretary and DGP to the Raj Bhavan, but they did not come.

Trinamool MPs demanded removal of the governor in the Budget session of Parliament. They even reached out to President Ramnath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the issue and brought a separate proposal in Parliament.