Kolkata: In a departure from protocol on Thursday, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar was forced to wait outside the locked gate number 3 of the legislative assembly, which is used for VIP entry, during a scheduled visit.
A visibly angry Dhankar waited at the gate for a few minutes but was forced to use gate number 4, which is used by common people. “As per protocol, I have to enter through gate number 3 but it was locked. Why is the gate locked? Two-day adjournment of the assembly does not mean that the assembly gates will be locked. This is a shameful act and a democracy cannot run like this,” Dhankar told mediapersons.
Amid a stand-off with the ruling TMC over an abrupt two-day adjournment of the assembly, Dhankar had said on Wednesday that he would visit the House on Thursday to look into its facilities and take a look at the library.
On Wednesday, Dhankar was also forced to wait for the vice-chancellor of the Calcutta University as her office was locked during his visit. The Governor, who is also the chancellor of state universities, enquired about Sonali Chakravarty Bondhopadhyay’s whereabouts but was told by the staff that they were unaware. Other senior administrative members were also not present during his visit.
Dhankar waited in the adjacent room for a while and then left the campus. Earlier, when the Governor reached the university, there was no one to receive or greet him. “Their mobile phones were unreachable, the landline was not functional and the e-mails were bouncing back. But all of us who have to carry out our duty cannot be deterred by these things. If I am wrong hang me but question others too,” Dhankar said.
The standoff between Dhankar and the ruling government has intensified in recent months. He has faced criticism from TMC leaders for crossing his constitutional limits and was accused of “working like a BJP spokesperson” by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
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