Trinamool To Bring Resolution Against Bengal Governor. He Says...

A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked a senior police officer if Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was threatening him and interfering in his work, the Raj Bhavan occupant on Friday hit out at her, claiming that her action has dealt a "spinal blow" on the police force.

The ruling TMC was quick to hit back, accusing Mr Dhankhar of transgressing constitutional limits.

The party said it would bring a "resolution" against him in the budget session of the assembly.

Ms Banerjee had on Thursday kicked off a row after she publicly asked the superintendent of police in Purba Medinipur district, the bastion of senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, whether the governor was threatening him and interfering in his work.

Sharing the video clip of Thursday's interaction between the senior police official and Ms Banerjee on his Twitter handle, Mr Dhankhar said it was an "unfortunate" incident.

"What a worrisome scenario! CM Mamata Banerjee in full media glare pulls up Purba Midnapore SP by asking 'did the governor call you' is serious issue needing focussed reflection," Mr Dhankhar said on Twitter.

"Unfortunate, a spinal blow by CM to police (sic)," he added.

The tug of war between the governor and the chief minister recently intensified after Banerjee blocked Dhankhar on Twitter, alleging that he treated her government like a "bonded labourer".

The ruling TMC, which often called the governor a "BJP agent" said on Friday that he should "brush up his knowledge of the Constitution".

"He (Dhankhar) should stop behaving like a BJP leader. He has to work within the framework of the Constitution. The chief minister is well within her constitutional rights to give instructions to police officials," TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee asserted.

Later, while addressing a press conference, Mr Chatterjee, who is also state parliamentary affairs minister, maintained that the ruling party will move a resolution against the governor in the upcoming budget session of the assembly for his "continued interference in the functioning of the state government".

The dates for West Bengal assembly budget session are yet to be announced.

Last week, the TMC had decided to bring a substantive motion against Mr Dhankhar in Rajya Sabha.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJP seems to be a divided house on the issue, as its national vice president Dilip Ghosh came out in support of the governor and the party's supended leader, Jay Prakash Majumdar, criticised Mr Dhankhar over his actions.

Tagging the governor, Mr Majumdar tweeted, "Does our beloved West Bengal benefit from your confrontations with the state administration? Are media & tweets viable means for resolving such disputes? Isn't your stand actually providing sympathy to the ruling party? People expect statesmanship from a governor." As his tweets created a buzz in the political circles, he clarified that he did not intend to support the TMC government with the tweet and it was posted out of concern for the state.

The BJP has suspended Mr Majumdar and another leader, Ritesh Tiwari, on the charge of violating party discipline. The decision came days after the two held meetings with Matua leader and Union minister Santanu Thakur, who recently claimed that leaders of his community have been sidelined by the party top brass during a reshuffle in the state officer bearers' committee.

Mr Ghosh lashed out at Mr Majumdar, stating that there was no point responding to the suspended leader's remarks about the governor.

"Jay Prakash Majumder had also targeted state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and me. There is no point in responding to what he says about the governor. The way the governor has been insulted by the ministers of the TMC government is unprecedented.

"The governor has done the right thing by pointing out the lacunae and unconstitutional approach of the state administration," the national vice president of the saffron camp added.