KOLKATA: In a move likely to further sour his relations with the state government, West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose inaugurated an 'anti-corruption cell' at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, a day after interacting with a group of students. In response, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Governor was unnecessarily interfering in the state's matters under instructions from the BJP.
Dismissing Mamata’s allegation, Bose said Bengal has two enemies, violence and corruption, and the new initiative is an attempt to address one of the two issues. Making it clear that the initiative would not “infringe on other’s turf” and referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks at a rally in Cooch Behar before the recently concluded panchayat elections, Bose said the new initiative would try to implement what the Bengal CM had said on the issue of corruption.
“Do not give money to anyone. We will not allow that. If someone wants money, take his picture and send this to me. This was said in Cooch Behar by my constitutional colleague CM of West Bengal. This is precisely what we are trying to implement. This is what we are going to do. Anyone who comes across corruption can report it to the cell and we will take up the issue with the competent authorities,” said Bose after inaugurating the new initiative.
Asked about the new cell at Raj Bhavan, Mamata said, “He (governor) is unnecessarily interfering in the state government’s matters. He is working under the instructions of the BJP.”
The issue of corruption has become the principal political tool of the BJP, the principal opposition in the state, against the ruling TMC. The saffron camp has accused the TMC of indulging in corruption in several fields ranging from recruitment in schools to allotting houses for the poor. The Centre, too, sent several teams to Bengal following reports of corruption in implementation of several welfare schemes.
The governor had opened a “Peace Room” at Raj Bhavan to address violence related complaints from districts during the recent rural polls which, too, drew strong criticism from the ruling party. The TMC had alleged that the governor was overstepping his constitutional rights and accused him of working at the behest of the BJP.
Elaborating on the latest initiative of Raj Bhavan, Bose said, “Here at the anti-corruption cell, we are trying to give voice to the voiceless. In the days of violence, Raj Bhavan is trying to be a friend of the unfriended poor. We will not try to infringe on the turf of others."