"Reverse Thinking": Bengal Governor On BJP Not Being Allowed Into Sandeshkhali

In a strong statement on the Sandeshkhali violence, the West Bengal governor has implied that the state government is taking irrational decisions when he was asked about the opposition being stopped from visiting the area. Governor CV Ananda Bose used the phrase 'Vinash Kale Viprit Buddhi' from Chanakya Niti, which means that a person's decision-making can become irrational or counterproductive during difficult moments.

Mr Bose, who returned to Kolkata on Wednesday after a visit to New Delhi, had gone to Sandeshkhali before he left and had spoken to the women who, the BJP claims, have made allegations of sexual harassment and rape against a local Trinamool Congress strongman's aides. The issue has snowballed into a political storm with the BJP and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress trading charges.

The West Bengal Police have denied any such allegations or complaints and have warned against 'wilful misinformation' by sections of the media. 

When he was asked if he had submitted any report to the Ministry of Home Affairs on the Sandeshkhali issue, the governor said, "The first step, according to me is a report to the people of Bengal, then a report to the Government of West Bengal and then a report to the Government of India."

To a question on the state government's response to the issue, Mr Bose said, "Please give me some time. Decency demands that I give my views to the government formally. At the stroke of midnight today, my directives to the government under Article 175 (2) of the Constitution will be issued. Then I will respond to that question."

Article 175 (2) of the Indian Constitution, which deals with the right of the governor to send messages to the House, states, "The Governor may send messages to the House or Houses of the Legislature of the State, whether with respect to a Bill then pending in the Legislature or otherwise, and a House to which any message is so sent shall with all convenient despatch consider any matter required by the message to be taken into consideration."

When a reporter asked the governor about the Opposition being stopped from going to Sandeshkhali, the governor said, "Vinash Kale Viparit Buddhi...Those who are expected to take action should take action. Otherwise, the power of the people will assert itself in different ways."

BJP workers clashed with the police near Sandeshkhali earlier on Wednesday and the party's state president, Sukanta Majumdar, was hospitalised after he allegedly suffered injuries.

Mr Majumdar and the party workers were attempting to enter Sandeshkhali and meet the women who , according to the BJP, have alleged that they were sexually abused by Trinamool strongman Sheikh Shahjahan's aides. Shahjahan's home was raided in a ration scam by the Enforcement Directorate on January 5. The agency's team was attacked by a mob during the raid and Shahjahan has been on the run since.

The Trinamool Congress has strongly denied the BJP's claims and accused it of indulging in political one-upmanship. 

Death Of Children

On the issue of the death of children in Chopra, for which the Trinamool Congress had sought an appointment with the Governor and has been given time on Thursday, Mr Bose said, "That has also come to my notice and I will certainly deal with it appropriately."

Four children had died after falling in a pit dug for a drain and the ruling party has accused the Border Security Force of negligence. It has alleged that the central paramilitary force, which was in charge of the drain project, was carrying out expansion work without sanction from the authorities.

The Trinamool Congress has said that the governor should show the same urgency in visiting Chopra as he did in going to Sandeshkhali.