Bengal Guv's plan to visit violence-hit areas triggers row with state govt

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s planned visit to Sitalkuchi and other places in Coochbehar district on Thursday to take an overview of the post-poll violence situation, in the backdrop of the Sitalkuchi firing probe by the state’s Crime Investigation Department (CID), has triggered yet another faceoff with the state government. While Chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged Dhankar to stick to “Manual of Protocols & Ceremonials, Government of West Bengal, Home Department 1990”, Governor Dhankar wrote back saying, “the governance in the state is getting far distanced from Constitutional norms and rule of law." The governor plans to meet the people who were affected due to the violence after the results of the assembly election were announced on May 2.

Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar will be leaving Kolkata by BSF helicopter on May 13 to visit post-poll unprecedented violence affected areas. Dhankar said, “I will visit Sitalkuchi and other places in Coochbehar to connect with the sufferers.” The governor will also visit Mathabhanga, Sitai and Dinhata. The newly elected Mamata Banerjee-led government has ordered a CID probe into the firing incident in Sitalkuchi, where four people were killed when Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel opened fire in “self-defence” in the assembly constituency’s booth 126, allegedly after coming under attack from the locals who “attempted to snatch their rifles” during the fourth phase of polling in the state.