West Bengal Governor warns of "constitutional actions" over ED officials attack

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday warned of "appropriate Constitutional actions" if the state government fails to perform its “basic duty” in connection with the attack on enforcement directorate officials on Friday in North 24 Parganas district’s Sandeshkhali.

Bose has called the state’s director general of police, the chief secretary and home secretary to Raj Bhawan to discuss the matter.

The Governor visited the ED officials at the hospital today


Meanwhile, high court Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay observed that if federal agencies are attacked, how will the probe progress?

The ED officials had gone to Sandeshkhali in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam, when a mob attacked them. The CISF personnel present were outnumbered by people suspected to be Trinamool Congress supporters and followers of party leader Sheikh Shahjahan, a close aide of arrested former food minister Jyotipriya Mullick.

Referring to it as a "ghastly incident", Bose said, "It is alarming and deplorable. It is the bounded duty of a civilised government to stop barbarism and vandalism in a democracy. If the government fails its basic duty, the Constitution of India will definitely take its course."

“As governor, I reserve all power to exercise Constitutional actions at appropriate moments. Flexing muscles and parading paper tigers will not work with people of Bengal,” he said.

The governor said the state government should do its duty. “Those who think they will rule through dons, it will soon end. This is pre-election violence, which has an early beginning… should find an early end,” Bose said. “The sole responsibility for wanton violence in society lies with the government.”

Bose warned that the state government should take action, otherwise it will face consequences. “The government better open its eyes to see the reality and act effectively or face the consequences.”

He also said the police must stop pretending “not to see the reality…”

“It is high time we call a stop to violence and hooliganism. In Bengal, violence will come to an end,” he reiterated.