Ties between the governor the Bengal government had been largely cordial so far.
In a sign of a widening rift between the West Bengal government and Governor CV Ananda Bose, Education Minister Bratya Basu on Friday equated his recent visit to state universities with a "white elephant moving around" on his own.
The education minister also said that the two sides had earlier decided to work together, but he could not comprehend why Mr Bose, also the titular chancellor of state-run universities, is making such visits without keeping the state government in the loop.
Mr Basu said in view of the new situation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should take over as chancellor of state universities. The state had earlier mooted this proposal after repeated run-ins with former Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar over the management of state-run universities.
"If the governor functions on his whims, without intimating the chief minister, the department, the minister or the institution concerned, I am forced to say that this is not done. He cannot function in such a manner,“ Mr Basu told reporters after garlanding the statue of B R Ambedkar on his birth anniversary.
He was replying to queries on the Governor's unscheduled visits to the three state university campuses since April 10. When asked by reporters, the Governor refused to react to the minister's comments.
Mr Bose's recent visits to the universities without informing anyone are similar to "moving around of a white elephant disregarding norms", Mr Basu said. The Minister said "in principle" he felt "the chief minister should be the chancellor" of state-run universities.
A bill passed in the state assembly to make the chief minister the chancellor has been pending with Raj Bhavan since the tenure of Mr Bose's predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The education minister called upon Mr Bose to either sign the bill or send it back to the assembly secretariat "so that we can pass it for the second time" evaluating the draft again if required.
The statement assumed significance as after a meeting between the two sides in late February, the minister had hinted the government would not stick to its demand to make the Chief Minister the chancellor if the governor and the state government were on the same page on various academic management issues.
"I am forced to say that we won't allow Raj Bhavan to gain control of the education sector. On the issue of autonomy of the state's higher educational institutions, no unilateral action by Raj Bhavan will be allowed by this government," Mr Basu asserted.
The ties between the two sides started souring after Mr Bose's letter to vice-chancellors seeking weekly reports on the academic functioning of universities, and decisions on financial matters.
Mr Bose then made unannounced visits to Calcutta University, West Bengal State University in Barasat and Presidency University in Kolkata within a week.
He met principals of affiliated colleges at Calcutta University, and students. He also talked to students and faculty at two other higher educational institutes.