West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday asked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to apologise for her “Chaddha, Nadda, Fadda, Bhaddha” comment, while warning her to stop play with fire.
Dhankhar was addressing the press following the submission of his report about the law and order situation in the state to Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister of India.
He forwarded the report a day after BJP national president JP Nadda’s convoy was attacked in Diamond Harbour, the Parliamentary constitutency belonging to TMC MP and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
Talking to the media persons, Dhankhar said, “The events that happened yesterday are most unfortunate. They are an insult to our democratic fabric. As a Governor, it is my responsibility to uplift the Indian Constitution.
“The Chief Minister needs to follow the Constitution. She cannot deviate from its paths.”
Taking cognizance of Mamata Banerjee’s statements on Thursday, when she cast doubt and said that the attack on Nadda’s convoy was “nautanki”, Dhankhar demanded an immediate apology from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo.
“They have no other work. At times Home Minister is here, other times it’s Chaddha, Nadda, Fadda, Bhaddha. When they have no audience, they call their workers for doing nautanki,” Banerjee had said at the culmination event of TMC’s three-day sit in Kolkata against the three new farm laws.
“I take a very serious note of the statement from Chief Minister. How can a responsible Chief Minister, believing in rule of law, with believing in rich heritage of Bengali culture, believing in Constitution, talked the way she did. I appeal to the CM – madam, please reflect, please maintain some dignity and grace, and take back those words. And withdraw that video,” the governor said.
I urge Chief Minister @MamataOfficial to engage in deep reflection and apologetically withdraw this video comment that outrages essence and sublimity of Bengal’s rich culture. pic.twitter.com/HL8dcyBqaa
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) December 10, 2020
Reacting to Mamata Banerjee’s constant jibe of calling BJP and its leaders, “outsiders”, Dhankhar said, “Madam Chief Minister, India is one, Indians are one, please do not play with or fancy this kind of fire. You are under oath of the Indian Constitution, please pay respect to it. Who is outsider, who is insider, please do not indulge in such debates.”
On his way to West Bengal’s Diamond Harbour to attend a party event, Nadda’s convoy was attacked on Thursday. Protestors, standing at both side of the road, hurled stones at Nadda’s motorcade.
The BJP president, who was on a two-day visit to West Bengal on Wednesday and Thursday, had faced the wrath of state’s heated political spectrum on the first day as well.
He was greeted by protestors with black flag while he was en route to inaugurate the party’s election control room at Hastings in Kolkata. It was his first event after landing in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Two security failures in as many days compelled the BJP president in West Bengal, Dilip Ghosh, to write to Amit Shah as well.
Following his letter, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) summoned the West Bengal police chief and chief secretary to New Delhi on December 14 regarding the law and order situation in the state.
Reportedly, the MHA has also asked the West Bengal government to put forward the security arrangements it had made for Nadda in an official report about law enforcement in poll-bound state.
TMC, West Bengal’s governning party, on the other hand, has refused to be vanquished. Veteran MP Saugata Roy had hit back at the hindutva camp on Thursday, saying that Nadda was “neither the President nor the Prime Minister that there’ll have to be security for him everywhere.
Today @JPNadda‘s speeding car on its way to Diamond Harbour, collided into an auto, damaging it & gravely injuring the driver.
Instead of helping the driver, @BJP4India Chief fled to stage an attack for political gain.
He was saved by ‘Ma Durga’, just not in the way he claims. pic.twitter.com/IRBMpd1CbF
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) December 10, 2020
Mamata Banerjee also extended the party’s narrative of not letting BJP establish that the law and order situation and West Bengal had failed.
“You have so many CISF-BSF commandos. Then how can they touch your car? What about your people who go around with shot guns,” Banerjee said.
“They are importing a new Hindu Dharma. That Hindu Dharma is not our Hindu Dharma. They are passing off a disgusting dharma as Hindu dharma with which neither you nor I have any thing to do. This is how Hitler became Hitler, this is how Ceausescu became Ceausescu. Mussolini became Mussolini. Today, this Narendra Babu sarkar simply plans drama, creates drama and sends video of the drama they have themselves created to the media. And media has no power to question them. they may of their own drama they send to the media,” she added.
“Every day they are coming out for rallies with firearms. They are slapping themselves and blaming it on the Trinamool Congress. Just think of the situation. They are roaming around with the BSF, CRPF, Army, CISF….then why are you so scared?” she said.
“Your leaders are welcome. We are against violence, but why are 50 cars following you around? And bikes and media cars? So who were standing there? Who threw stones? Is it planned? You are so smart, you can use satellite watch everything,” she added.