Guv Bose likely to file defamation case against TMC MP on stacking of arms at Raj Bhavan allegation

    Kolkata, Nov 18 (PTI) A day after conducting search operations at the Raj Bhavan premises for weapons and ammunition, an act prodded by TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee's allegations to that effect, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose is now mulling filing a defamation case against the TMC MP, a senior official said on Tuesday.
    "The Governor is set to move the Calcutta High Court to file a defamation case against Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee in connection with his defamatory comments regarding arms and ammunition stacked inside the Governor House at Raj Bhavan here," the official told PTI.
    The step was taken after consulting legal options, he said, adding that the MP's offences may invite a maximum punishment of seven years of imprisonment.
    "The offences of the MP under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) are non-bailable," the official claimed.
    On Monday, Governor Bose led a team of security personnel – comprising Kolkata Police officers and central forces, a bomb squad and even a sniffer dog – to find out whether there are arms and ammunition stacked inside the Raj Bhavan.
    The search was conducted in the presence of media personnel, while invitations to be a part of the exercise were also extended to members of the civil society.
    The exercise happened after Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Saturday accused Bose of "sheltering BJP criminals" inside the Raj Bhavan and "arming them with bombs and guns".
    Later in the day, the Governor’s office also filed an FIR against Banerjee at the Hare Street Police Station in connection with the controversy.
    "Yes, an FIR has been filed against the TMC MP for making such allegations against the Constitutional head of the state. The doors of the Raj Bhavan were kept open for the TMC MP to conduct a thorough search and spot the arms and ammunition, but the politician did not turn up," the official told PTI.
    "In fact, such grave allegations cannot be made against the Constitutional head for the sake of attacking him," he said.
    Referring to the search operations conducted at the Raj Bhavan following Banerjee's allegations, the official said that there was "nothing found inside the premises" which could be found to corroborate the TMC MP's claims.
    In the FIR, Banerjee has been slapped with several sections of BNS, including those pertaining to crime to assault or wrongfully restrain the President or a state governor with the intent to compel them from exercising their lawful powers, acts that endanger India's sovereignty, unity, and integrity, the official said.
    Other sections mentioned in the FIR deal with attempts to jeopardise national integration, acts promoting enmity or disturb public harmony, and statements that could lead to public mischief, he added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)