WB: CM Mamata, Guv Dhankhar exchange pleasantries; hold meeting

Amid acrimony between Trinamool Congress government and Raj Bhavan, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Goverr Jagdeep Dhankhar exchanged pleasantries with each or in Assembly on Friday.

Dhankhar arrived at assembly at 2 pm to deliver his customary dress before budget session and was greeted by chief minister and Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee.

goverr averted a showdown by t deviating from speech prepared by Mamata Banerjee government for his customary dress to Assembly at beginning of session.

Dhankhar's herence to speech came a day after he said in Santiniketan that as constitutional he of state he was within his right to make suggestions and h hoped those would be incorporated in his speech.

This h raised speculation that he might follow Kerala Goverr Arif Mohamm Khan who h injected in his dress a disclaimer for portions he did t agree with.

Goverr Dhankhar's speech reflected policies and programmes of TMC government as he said "intolerance, bigotry and hatred" are "new rms in country" and "rejection of all forms of dissent is new fashion in name of patriotism".

At end of his speech, he walked up to chief minister's seat and exchanged pleasantries with her. Later Dhankhar held a meeting with Mamata Banerjee and Speaker at latter's chamber in Assembly premises.

This is first time that Dhankhar after delivering his dress held a meeting with Mamata Banerjee and Biman Banerjee which lasted for half an hour.