Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said he is ready to talk to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on “topics at her chosen place, time and place.”
Dhankar this morning visited the State Assembly to pay floral tributes to Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on his 63rd death anniversary.
This comes a day after the Governor had expressed outrage after he had arrived at the Assembly yesterday and found the gate designated for the Governor to be locked. He then had to enter through another gate.
Today, however, the Governor was received by Marshall and Joint Secretary of the Assembly.
After paying homage to Ambedkar inside the premises of the Assembly, Dhankar addressed media and said, “What happened yesterday pained me.”
“I have written to the Chief Minister on having a discussion on the topics at her chosen place, time and place. I have also spoken to her over the phone on Tuesday,” Dhankar said.
On Thursday while addressing the media, Dhankar had said it is a “sad day for the democracy of the state.”
“You cannot make the legislature captive with such exercises. Democracy is being humiliated, not me. We are caging democracy. However, as the Governor of the state, I will never bow down and will work to uphold the democratic principles of the state,” Dhankhar said
He had also lashed out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating that she had failed to perform constitutional duties for the last four months, and has never briefed the governor about important issues, including the cyclone ‘Bulbul’.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit back at the Governor saying that she will “fight back.”
“Look at my state just for the introduction of Bills my house is adjourned. I will fight I don’t have any problem,” Bannerjee said while attending the inaugural programmes of Infocom here.
The West Bengal assembly was adjourned on Wednesday and Thursday as the Speaker Biman Bannerjee said bills meant to be tabled had not been approved by the Governor.
Since he took office in July, Dhankar has been at loggerheads with Banerjee over several issues such as the demand for the helicopter to visit an event, which was denied by Mamata.
The TMC has also alleged that he was running a “parallel administration” in the state, an allegation refuted by the Governor.