Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife at Mamata Banerjee's puja.
After a series of acrimonious exchanges over the past few months, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee invited Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to a Kali Puja celebration at her home in Kolkata on Sunday night and the two called a truce, even if temporary, over homemade sweets and music.
The governor and his wife arrived around 6.30 pm at the home of the Chief Minister, who led them to her spartan room. They spent a few moments there before Mamata Banerjee escorted the couple to the Kali Puja festivities.
"Anyone who comes to a Puja comes with a pure heart and leaves with a purer heart," the Governor said afterwards.
This was the first meeting between the two after the Governor accused Ms Banerjee's government of sidelining him at a Durga Puja carnival earlier this month, calling it one of the most "painful" moments of his life.
He had little to complain about last evening, given all the attention he received not just from the Chief Minister but also the Education Minister Partha Chatterjee. The two fell out after the Governor's intervention last month when Union Minister Babul Supriyo of the BJP was pushed around and blocked by students at Jadavpur University. Mr Dhankhar drove to the spot and dramatically "rescued" Mr Supriyo, a move that was slammed by the state's Trinamool Congress government, especially the Education Minister as an attempt to escalate politics.
According to news agency IANS, as they chatted at Ms Banerjee's home last night, the Chief Minister told Mr Dhankar that BJP stalwarts like former prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani had also visited her home.
The Governor later told the media that he and his wife felt "very blessed" to attend the puja which Ms Banerjee has been organising since 1978.
"Me and my wife... went to attend the puja, and we were there for two hours. We had a good meeting. We also spend some time with her in the room she occupies...We felt very blessed that we could see a puja that is operational since 1978... She offered us sweets, very good sweets that were homemade. And they were not of sugar, but of molasses. So my wife loved them, I loved them. And while we were coming out, the chief minister sent more sweets," Mr Dhankhar said.
The Governor also said he has asked for a CD of songs composed by Ms Banerjee, which were played at the Puja.
Mr Dhankhar had issued a press statement saying he had written to Mamata Banerjee saying he would like to come over to her house on "Bhai Phonta" or Brothers' Day on Tuesday.
Ms Banerjee responded saying she would be busy that day but invited him to her home on Kali Puja, the Governor's press statement said.