Mamata government, governor on collision course

Kolkata, Jan 10 (IANS) The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government and Governor M.K. Narayanan were on a collision course Thursday with a senior minister attacking Narayanan for his sharp criticism of the administration over political clashes, and the governor retorting that he stood by his comments.

A day after Narayanan dubbed the recent clashes as "some kind of goondaism", Panchayat and Public Health Engineering Minister Subrata Mukherjee alleged that Narayanan was speaking more like a politician and his comments would provoke people.

"If whatever has appeared in the media is true, I feel it was incorrect on the part of the governor to make such comments regarding the law and order as the state's constitutional head,' said Mukherjee, contending that because of Narayanan's comments, confusion among the people would increase.

"Had he wanted to know the details of the incidents, he should have sought a report from the government, called our officers like the chief secretary, taken all reports, and then spoken on that basis," the minister told reporters at state secretariat, Writers' Buildings.

"He has spoken like a politician. People will misunderstand his comments because he is a Congress-appointed constitutional head. His statements will only provoke the people," Mukherjee said.

Narayanan, however, stuck to his stand.

"I speak the language of a governor," he said on the sidelines of a programme here when a scribe sought his reaction on Mukherjee's comment that he was speaking more like a politician.

"Of course, I do stand by my comment," the governor said, answering another pointed query.

Narayanan's comments Wednesday came in the wake of the attack on opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader and former minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah, allegedly by Trinamool Congress activists led by former legislator Arabul Islam in Bhangar in South 24-Parganas district Sunday.

Following the attack, many have been injured in clashes between Trinamool and CPI-M workers.

Speaking on the sidelines of a programme here Wednesday, Narayanan also asked police and administration to function impartially while arresting the guilty.

"This is not a good political culture. I think this is some kind of goondaism going on here...," he said.

"The last two-three days have been more distressing and very disturbing. This violence should not have taken place."

"We cannot and should not tolerate the violence. A city like Kolkata and state like West Bengal cannot accept this," Narayanan said.

Asked if he was satisfied with the role of police in tackling the clashes, he said: "Clearly, when there is a major law and order situation, there are weaknesses around."

Don't pay heed to slander: Mamata

Kolkata, Jan 10 (IANS) With her government drawing flak from the governor, media and a section of the civil society over law and order issues, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday asked the people not to pay heed to "slander" and "misinformation campaigns".

"None of you should pay heed to any slander. And don't indulge in slander either. Don't pay heed to misinformation campaigns," Banerjee said in a meeting at Asansol of Burdwan district.

Banerjee's comments came a day after Governor M. K. Narayanan virtually rapped her government over the clashes between Communist Party of India-Marxist and Trinamool Congress workers, saying it was akin to "some sort of goondaism" which was "not acceptable".

He asked the police and the administration to function impartially in arresting the guilty and pointed at the police's "weaknesses" in tackling the clashes saying it was a "major law and order situation".

A large section of the civil society - including the likes of educationist Sunanda Sanyal, writers Tilottama Majumdar and Suchitra Bhattacharya and painter Samir Aich - who had backed Banerjee during the final years of her fight in unseating the erstwhile Left Front government, have also been sharply critical of her administration.

Some television channels and a section of the print media have been coming out with reports which have not exactly been music to the ears of the chief minister.

Speaking at the Asansol rally, Banerjee also instructed police to ensure that nobody was able to create lawlessness by using the coal mafia.

"I will not tolerate any breach of peace, indiscipline. I have instructed the police," she said.

I FULLY SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR AND CARE TWO HOOTS FOR THE VIEWS OF SUBRATA MUKHERJEE, WHO HIMSELF HAS BEEN A TURNCOAT (TORBOOJ) AS PER MAMTA HERSELF, ALL HIS LIFE.

The above incident and the earlier one in the aftermath of the Nandigram violence, involving the CPM and Rajmohan Gandhi (who was the Governor at that time) shows the importance of having Governors and Presidents who are personalities by themselves and not just rubber stamps.

Talking of rubber stamps, two Presidents come to mind, Giani Zail Singh and Pratibha Patil.

The office of the President and the Governor are very important in that they can re-direct a government when it starts taking wrong action.

For that the centre should appoint able people instead of super-annuated politicians or businessmen making large contributions to the party fund.

Seeing the fractured nature of election results where no party can come to power at the centre without taking the help of regional parties, it becomes even more important to appoint able administrators, even retired civil service people with good service records and non-partisan leanings and no-nonsense attitude.

Seeing the way, political parties try to influence results during elections, I would suggest that six month before and election, the chief minister should resign and elections should be held under Governor's rule, provided the Governor himself is non-partisan.