Aggrieved with the ongoing tussle between Raj Bhavan and Assembly on the issue of administering the oath to two newly-elected Trinamul Congress MLAs, Sayantika Banerjee and Rayat Hossain Sarkar from Baranagar and Bhagwangola constituencies, respectively, the chief minister Mamata Banerjee, broke her silence on Thursday on the issue.
The two MLAs are yet to take oath even after 23 days of the results of bypolls in Baranagar and Bhagwangola constituencies were announced on 4 June.
“What is this? They can’t take oath as MLAs. It’s either the Speaker or deputy Speaker, who will administer them the oath. Why is he (Governor) preventing them?” Miss Banerjee said today at the state secretariat, Nabanna.
“Women are scared of what is happening there at Raj Bhavan and that’s why they fear to go there,” she said.
A contractual woman employee at Raj Bhavan had lodged complaint of sexual harassment against the Governor C V Ananda Bose with police on 2 May.
Kolkata Police are investigating the allegations brought against Mr Bose though he has already denied the charges.
On Wednesday, Ms Banerjee and Mr Hossain Sarkar staged dharna at the Assembly premises demanding the Governor to administer them the oath at the Assembly instead of Raj Bhavan. Today, the two MLAs sat under Ambedkar’s statue with the copy of the constitution in their hands.
On the other hand, Mr Bose stuck to his earlier decision to administer the oath at Raj Bhavan making the issue uncertain.