West Bengal Governor accused of sexual harassment, he says ‘engineered narrative’
Problem between the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and Governor C V Ananda Bose deepened Thursday after the TMC flagged the case of a woman contractual staffer at Raj Bhavan who alleged that the Governor had “molested” her. Bose hit back saying “truth would triumph,” and he would not be “cowed down by engineered narratives.”
Bose’s statement came after senior TMC leaders claimed the woman was taken to a police station where she filed her complaint. When contacted, Bose told “If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal.”
Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Raj Bhawan Thursday where he will stay overnight. On Friday, he is scheduled to address three election rallies in Krishnanagar, Bolpur and Birbhum Lok Sabha constituencies.
In her complaint lodged at Hare Street police station, the woman is learnt to have referred to two meetings, one on April 24 and another on Thursday.
In her police complaint, the woman said she works at Raj Bhawan on a contractual basis, and stays in the staff quarters. It states: “On 19.4.24, Governor sir told me to take some time out and to meet him with my CV. On 24.04.2024, at around 12.45 pm, he called me to his office room and, after some discussion, touched me. I somehow managed to leave the office room. He called me once again today, 02.05.2024. I took my supervisor along with me to the conference room because I was scared. After talking for a while about work, he asked the supervisor to leave. He prolonged the conversation by talking about my promotion. He said he will call me at night and asked me not to tell anyone. When I refused, he tried to touch me. I protested and left.”
A PTI report, quoting sources in Raj Bhawan, said that the woman, with the help of a colleague, was “blocking complaints (from people) being sent to the Election Commission of India.” And that when she was “reprimanded for that,” she alleged molestation.
Confirming the complaint, Deputy Commissioner of Central Division Indira Mukherjee said: “Around 5 pm, a complaint was lodged at the police outpost. It was forwarded to Hare Street police station. The complaint is against His Excellency the Governor. An inquiry is on.”
Asked about the immunity the Governor has under Article 361 of the Constitution, Mukherjee said: “A woman lodged a complaint and we are duty bound to conduct an enquiry. It is a sensitive complaint. We will talk to our law department and constitutional experts. I cannot divulge details but, according to the complaint, the incidents happened inside Raj Bhawan — and more than once. We have spoken to the woman too.”
Leaders of the Trinamool Congress criticised Bose. Sagarika Ghose, TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP, posted online: “Ahead of Narendra Modi’s visit to Kolkata… a woman has alleged that she was molested while she went to meet the Governor at Raj Bhavan today (Thursday)… Shocking and disgraceful.”
Chandrima Bhattacharya, the state’s Finance Minister, said, “What is this? The PM will come tonight and stay in Raj Bhawan. At this time, there is an allegation against the Governor for atrocities against a woman… It is a shame.”
In a statement issued by Raj Bhawan hit back at the minister: “For defamation and anti-constitutional media statements against the Governor. Chandrima Bhattacharya has been banned (from) entry into the Raj Bhavan premises of Kolkata, Darjeeling and Barrackpore. The Governor has also instructed that he will not participate in any function attended by the Minister. The Attorney General of India has been contacted for advice on further legal steps against the Minister.”
The governor also banned the entry of police into Raj Bhavan premises under the guise of “conducting unauthorised, illegitimate, sham and motivated ‘investigation’ to placate political bosses during elections,” the statement added.
The West Bengal Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja said that, This is the same Governor who had reached out to Sandeshkhali to talk about women’s rights and Nari Shakti. This is shameful that the Governor sought undue advantages on the pretext of giving her a permanent job. We want Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be addressing rallies in Bengal tomorrow, to react on this issue.”
Issues the Governor and the state government have sparred on range from a “peace room” being opened at Raj Bhawan where anyone can lodge a complaint of violence and intimidation to the TMC filing a complaint with the Election Commission recently over Bose’s proposed visit to Cooch Behar.
“We all know that the TMC is politically cornered on the issue of (teachers’ recruitment) scam and is looking for breathing space. So this needs to be seen whether this is a conspiracy by the TMC or it has any iota of truth in it,” said BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
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