Bengal Guv Jagdeep Dhankhar writes second letter to Mamata, accuses her of minority appeasement amid Covid-19 combat

Accusing Bengal Chief Minister of minority appeasement in the state even amidst the fight to contain the pandemic, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar alleged that Mamata Banerjee's last letter to him was sent just to deliberately divert people's attention from state's "abject" failure in combating Covid-19.

"I can figure out that your entire strategy is crafted to deliberately divert people's attention from your abject failure in combating and containing Coronavirus in West Bengal," Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar wrote in the 14-page letter.

"Your communication is part of 'alibi strategy' emanates from a script that seeks to cover up ‘monumental failures’ in these challenging times by series of ‘blunders’ while people of the state are suffering untold miseries, media is muzzled, health warriors are stressed and there is virtual suspension of human rights of those not belonging to your party while emasculation of the administration and police has reached pinnacle as a consequence of their politicization," Dhankhar wrote.

"As an escape route you thought of being in your favorite pastime of being in ‘accusatory mode’ and take to streets. Let me indicate in times of such gigantic crisis ‘street fighter approach’ is counter productive and has potential to spell disaster for the people," he added. 

Slamming Mamata Banerjee over her alleged minority appeasement, Jagdeep Dhankhar wrote: "Your appeasement of the minority community was so explicit and awkward that as regards a question about the Nizamuddin Markaz incident by a journalist, your reaction was- 'Do not ask communal questions'."

"This is most unfortunate and cannot be appreciated, and you will appreciate that a perpetrator can never position as victim," he wrote.

Responding to Mamata Banerjee's claim that Governor is violating his constitutional boundaries, Dhankhar wrote, "Our accountability is reflected in our Constitution, as Chief Minister you are to act in accordance with the Constitution and as Governor I have to protect and preserve the Constitution and serve the people of the state."

"There are Constitutional prescriptions for you that mandate discharge of obligations qua the Governor and there has been consistency at your end in complete disregard of the same, to my great dismay," Guv wrote in the letter.

"Painfully your actions have been in utter disregard of the Constitution and I have so reminded you- one believing in Constitution and pride of this great state and nation would never even contemplate going for ‘referendum’ by United Nations over Citizenship Amendment Act. You did and I cautioned you then as well," Jagdeep Dhankhar wrote.

Governor also said that he could not turn "Nelson's eye" to serious issues of distressed people of the state.

"Madam Chief Minister, ever remember that I have to be faithful to my oath, and surely I cannot be fiddling in Raj Bhawan when people of the state are stressed," Dhankhar wrote.

Responding to Mamata Banerjee's allegations that Guv's direct attacked on CM, her minsters and government officials, Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "I firmly disown your accusations that I directly attack the Chief Minister, her ministers and officers, my tone, tenor and language are unparliamentary, I hold press conference against the state of which I am governor, repeatedly and consistently interfere in the administration of her ministries and departments are bereft of any factual premise and that is available from your communication."

"Not a single concrete instance is indicated as regards these. Just have a look, at your convenience, and you’ll fairly concede," Dhankhar added in the letter.

Talking about the recent face-off between the state and the Centre over the deployment of Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) to West Bengal for ground level assessment of Covid-19 situation, Jagdeep Dhankhar wrote, "How worrisome- ours is the only State where Central Teams whose only role is affirmative and in aid of the State, are made to face unwholesome scenario- in all other states it was seamless."

"Your cover up 'mechanism' would lead to very painful results. Banning of mobile phones inside Isolation Wards is a case in point. Time to reveal the real picture so that our fight against the Coronavirus may be enhanced and sharpened," he wrote.

Jagdeep Dhankhar also advised Bengal Chief Minister to go in active mode to save the state from the pandemic.

"Madam Chief Minister, for the sake of people, whose survival is at stake, disable your political antenna, shun confrontationist approach and be in action mode," Dhankhar mentioned in the letter.

"There is no scope for personal issues: the public good allows only the public concerns, the personal ones must be settled elsewhere," Dhankhar's letter read.

"So, instead of verbal outburst, action must follow, for the well being of the people, a crying need today. I have ignored in public interest and in the welfare of the people any number of indignities heaped on me by you in particular, including on the sacred floor of the Assembly," he wrote.

Governor also advised Chief Minister not to ignore the allegations being raised from the state regarding poor condition of frontline medical professionals and "wild loot" of food-and-relief materials.

Explaining this, Guv wrote in the letter: "There are many ‘ifs’, which people are raising, and being deliberately ignored — if the health care system is persistently ignored; if the Covid cases incessantly coming to the hospitals are consistently denied and suppressed, if the quarantine facilities remain for namesake, if the tests are not allowed honestly, if the frontline health workers are treated inhumanly by not providing them quality PPE and protection from the hooligans; if the medical procurements in this monumental crisis are allowed to be mired in malpractices, if the already politicized PDS is thrown open for wild loot by the unscrupulous people, if the state fails in preparing a lockdown exit policy and if the stranded people are left lurching into uncertainty, and, if the state does not prepare itself for the financial prudence to meet the expenditure for the unavoidable, rather existential needs of the immediate future."

"Pretention leads to even bigger catastrophe," Dhankhar wrote.

"Madam Chief Minister, you have conveniently chosen to give the very Corona a miss in your letter, a disaster possessing the deepest of the uncertainties, devouring the people of this state in unforeseeable ways," he added.

"I must not forget to mention: the silence today is louder that the words...in each and every quarter. They count more than you and I utter. And, those who are silently expressing, what must be done and what must not, will punish all those guilty of suppressing and strangling them. They are most powerful...rather they are the power," Jagdeep Dhankhar wrote.

Bengal Governor also mentioned that it was not the right time to accuse and counter-accuse as the nation is fighting the pandemic. 
 
"Your unConstitutional confrontationist mode against the Governor as also the Central Government is indicative of ‘Law unto Oneself’ or ‘Stand Alone’ approach and surely this is antithetical to democracy and you practice it," Dhankhar wrote.

"Your strategy to be in accusatory mode be it Governor or Central Government, emanates from your failure to handle diligently Covid-19 crisis and other burning issues before the people who are in deep distress," he added.

Finally, at the end of the letter, Governor has asked the state government to work together to fight the century's biggest pandemic.

"Lastly I would appeal to you that you have a friend in Raj Bhavan who is ever in cooperative mode to work shoulder to shoulder for public good," Dhankhar wrote.

Reacting to Dhankhar's words, senior TMC leader and Lok Sabha MP, Saugata Roy said, "He is speaking in the language of the BJP. He is demeaning the dignity of the office of the Governor."