Callous attitude of Mamta on riots, forces Governor to approach HM

Kolkata: Close on the heels of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's outbursts against him for demanding administrative action in violence-hit Baduria, state Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi has spoken to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Sources said Mr Tripathi spoke to the Union Home Minister and explained to him that he was surprised at the outburst of the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister's "attitude and language" was surprising, he said. "Governor Tripathi always holds the persons, who occupy the Constitutional positions, in high esteem," an official source told UNI here. In a statement in Kolkata, a Raj Bhavan communique said, "The Governor is surprised at the attitude and language used by the Chief Minister during the press conference" yesterday. "The talks between the Chief minister and the Governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it," the communique maintained. Official sources maintained that Governor is within constitutional rights and "cannot remain" a mute spectator to the affairs in the State.

The Raj Bhavan communique came shortly after the Chief Minister made critical remarks on the Governor. According to media reports, the Chief Minister yesterday told reporters at state secretariat that the Governor was behaving like a "BJP block president". Union Minister S S Ahluwalia, also the BJP MP from Darjeeling, has said that the Chief Minister should maintain decorum when it comes to matters concerning the state's Governor.

Governor Tripathi held detailed discussion with Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the situation in Baduria area under Basirhat sub-division in the North 24 Parganas district. Another BJP MP from West Bengal and Union Minister Babul Supriyo has said in a tweet that allegation against the Governor was brought only to divert from the situation in violence hit areas. "The entire Governor 'thing' was manufactured to deviate attention from the burning situation in Basirhat. Trinamool Congress thinks that everyone else is a fool," Mr Supriyo, MP from Asansol, said in a tweet. (UNI)