Keshari Nath Tripathi has been Governor of West Bengal since July, 2014.
West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi has said that a state government must ensure smooth running of law and order irrespective of political affiliation, a day after Trinamool Congress and the BJP approached Raj Bhavan over intense clashes between the two.
"Every state, irrespective of political attachment, should try to ensure peace in the state and maintain law and order," he said, according to news agency PTI.
Reacting to the Governor's statement, TMC leader Partha Chatterjee said, "He did not mention any particular state. But if Raj Bhavan is used for political purpose, we will protest." Mr Chatterjee further questioned how the CRPF was sent to protect BJP leader Rahul Sinha without the state government's permission.
BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh hit out at West Bengal's ruling party and said, "They accuse BJP of using the office of the state Governor, but there is violence and breakdown of law and order in the state."
Reports of clashes between the TMC and BJP surfaced from Kolkata and New Delhi following the arrest of TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Paul for their alleged involvement in the Rose Valley Ponzi scam.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee claims that the arrests were made on the directions of the Prime Minister's Office and said, "I openly challenge him to arrest me. Let me see his guts. He may silence others, but not me."
The BJP, however, alleged that TMC volunteers vandalised their Kolkata office and bombed the house of one of its leaders. Ms Banerjee's party leaders also hit the streets of New Delhi and demanded Union Minister Babul Supriyo's arrest in the Rose Valley case.
(with inputs from PTI)