West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday refused to receive Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Republic Day event in Kolkata and instead deputed Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi to receive the constitutional head of the state.
In another rare gesture, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was also not invited to the programme.
Dhankhar had on Tuesday lambasted the chief minister, saying there was no rule of law under the current regime. The Governor had also criticized the functioning of Speaker Biman Bandyopadhya in his presence.
Banerjee was sitting at the podium with Bandyopadhya when the Governor reached the spot in his hoodless car. He was received by Dwivedi and DGP Manoj Malviya. When Dhankar greeted Banerjee with folded hands, she reciprocated but paid no attention to him.
“It's a terrific break of protocol with none other than the Governor, who is the constitutional head of the state,” said Adhikari. He also termed his not being invited to the event as a rarest of the rare happenings in Bengal's legislative history.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumder also lashed out at Banerjee, saying: "She herself disregarded her chair of the chief minister by doing this. Shame."
As per the protocol, which has to be maintained in all government functions and events, the gazette of Union government has put Governors fourth in the order precedence. He comes just after the President, Vice President and the Prime Minister.
The Raj Bhavan in Kolkata has yet to issue a statement. But obviously it would generate another tussle between the constitutional head and executive head of the state.
