West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has sought details of the Mamata Banerjee government's spending on advertisements in media against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The Raj Bhavan made public a letter, sent to the government earlier this month, on Saturday, a day before Union Home Minister Amit Shah coming to Kolkata to campaign in favour of the CAA, even as a plea against the contentious legislation is being heard by the Supreme Court.
The Raj Bhavan's revelation came a day after Banerjee had a sumptuous lunch along with Shah at the residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar. Sources said the governor is yet to get a reply from the state government.
"No, the honble governor is yet to be replied," said an officer of Raj Bhavan.
The letter was sent to Principal Secretary of Information and Cultural Affairs Department Vivek Kumar on February 4 by Special Secretary of the governor Kumarjib Chakraborty.
It said the governor feels that "the advertisement is a political agenda of the ruling party in the state and violation of law and funnelling of huge public funds for this issue."
Chakraborty also quoted Dhankhar as saying, "Several persons have invited attention of the governor indicating such actions must be visited with exemplary consequence in accordance with law."
The governor said many persons have suggested to him that the object of the "advertisement generated a mission mode or reaction of the ruling political dispensation at the cost of public exchequer against a law emanating from the parliament or the issue before parliament".
The advertisements opposing the CAA were given to electronic media of the state and newspapers in Kolkata. The Calcutta High Court had last month stayed such advertisements after a law suit was filed against it.
However, the governor's intervention in the middle of it has raised a lot of eyebrows as he is going to submit a report to the Union government and the president of India on Banerjee government's moves.
Dhankhar said a large number of people had raised objection to the government's decision to give advertisements.
"A large number of people has raised alarm at such misuse of public fund for furthering the political strategy or prospect of the ruling party and sought intervention of the governor," Chakraborty quoted the gvernor as saying.
What made the issue burning is that the advertisement saw the chief minister delivering a speech against the CAA in the presence of senior officials of West Bengal government. Governor Dhankhar has found such act of officials as breach of conduct.
Chakraborty wrote, "Governor is of the opinion that presence of senior officials of the state in the advertisement has raised critical issues and that is beyond their expected conduct and propriety."
Chakraborty said he had been directed by the governor to request the government the details of authorities that sanctioned the advertisement in print and video format and the “advertisement period as also the starting date of dissemination to media”.
He also sought the details of the amount paid so far and due to be paid, current status of the advertisement along with names and details of the officials seen in the advertisement.
The State Secretariat is yet to respond to the governor's letter. An official, however, said, "Every details are being received by the authorities concerned".
Meanwhile, Dhankhar on Saturday received reply to a show cause notice he had served to the Cooch Behar university vice chancellor for holding convocation without intimation to governor, who is also chancellor of the university.
