'Communication format is violative of all established norms': Bengal govt slams Governor's letter

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government on Tuesday said Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over post-poll violence in the state was not consistent with "real facts".

In a series of tweets, the state Home Department criticised the letter that was shared by the governor on Twitter, claiming that it was violative of all established norms.

"Government of West Bengal has observed with dismay and distress that the Hon'ble Governor of West Bengal has suddenly made public, a letter of his to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, with contents that are not consistent with real facts," the Home Department tweeted.

"The communication format is violative of all established norms. The letter has been written to Hon'ble Chief Minister & released to public media through tweets simultaneously, which disrupts sanctity of such communications," it added.

In his letter, Dhankhar alleged that the chief minister was silent over post-poll violence in the state and has not taken steps to rehabilitate and compensate the suffering people.

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Rejecting the allegations, the Home Department said that post-poll violence took place when the Election Commission was in charge of law and order in the state.

"While the post-poll violence in the State was somewhat unabated when the Election Commission of India was in charge of the law and order machinery, after the swearing in, the State Cabinet has reigned in the situation, restored normalcy and established full command over anti-law elements," it said.

The state police have been firmly directed to bring to book all anti-socials, and the government remains committed to maintain the basic fabric of society and uphold law and order, the Home Department further said.

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Dhankhar, whose letter came as he went on a four-day trip to New Delhi, also accused the police and administration in the state of being partisan.

"I am constrained to observe your continued silence and inaction over post poll retributive bloodshed, violation of human rights, outrageous assault on dignity of women, wanton destruction of property, perpetuation of untold miseries on political opponents - worst since independence and it ill augurs for democracy," Dhankhar wrote to the chief minister.

"Your studied silence, coupled with absence of any steps to engage in rehabilitation and compensation to alleviate the unimaginable suffering of people, force an inevitable conclusion that all this is state driven," he alleged.

Dhankhar has been at loggerheads with the Trinamool Congress government on several issues since taking over in July 2019.