The tussle between the state government and Raj Bhavan has gone a notch higher with Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar today flinging an open challenge towards chief minister Mamata Banerjee, demanding she proves her “allegations” that Raj Bhavan is engaged in tapping phones while he sought to state that West Bengal is not being run in accordance with the Rule of Law prescribed in the Constitution but by a separate law of the rulers.

With Miss Banerjee having accused the Governor on several grounds in the recent weeks, including today on the occasion of the Trinamul Congress’s organisational election, Mr Dhankhar told the Press that the chief minister is continuing to malign his reputation with false charges.

“It is shocking to see her levelling one after other false allegations against me. She has alleged that Raj Bhavan is tapping phones. I challenge her to immediately substantiate her claims by making evidence public.” He further alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government is continuing with its alleged violations of the Rule of Law, and claimed that the National Human Rights report on post-poll violence in Bengal has proved that the state is being run by a separate set of laws framed by the rulers and not ones prescribed in the constitution.

“Every day she is making accusations which have no link with facts. Her government is trying to brush aside every matter that needs answers from the state government for clarification. The state government has not been able to respond as to where it got the money for running Ma Canteen even before the scheme came into being from April 2021- the start of the financial year 2021-2022. The canteens were running from February 2021.”

Mr Dhankhar said that he isn’t going to be cowed down in the face of threats from the state government but continue to raise relevant issues. “I might not be a politician but I will raise my voice each time there is an apparent violation of the constitution. We have to uphold the Rule of Law. How can she make preposterous allegations such as the food for the governor is coming from Taj Bengal? She is constantly using invectives in her criticisms against me. This is distasteful. Let her prove her claims and not continue to deceive the people of West Bengal,” the Governor said.

Mr Dhankhar further alleged that even the bureaucrats in this state seem to have forgotten the rules while the constitutional norms are being outraged every day. Challenging Miss Banerjee’s accusation that the governor is abusing her constantly, Dhankhar said, “Let her put out any tweets or messages where I was found abusing her. She is resorting to blatant lies, and instead of replying on matters that need to be discussed she is resorting to constant mudslinging.” He highlighted that never in the history of Bengal has it happened that a chief minister did not receive the Governor on Republic Day