WB Governor worried about free & fair elections under Mamata; meets Home Minister Shah

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed worry about the governance situation in the state, stating that it is getting away from the rule of law and the Constitution. Dhankhar yet again slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for running a 'police state' and said that he was concerned about free and fair Assembly elections next year. His statement came after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday.

"I am worried about the governance situation in West Bengal which is getting away from the rule of law and from the Constitution. I don't want the people of this state to lose hope that there can't be free and fair elections," Jagdeep Dhankhar said.

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The Governor met Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the status of democratic institutions and issues of public interest. According to a tweet from the Governor’s account, the meeting lasted for more than an hour, and 'state of affairs and affairs of state in West Bengal' was discussed.

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Dhankhar has been at loggerheads with the West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over several issues. Banerjee had earlier also accused the Governor of running a 'parallel administration' in the state. The Governor has been consistently raising the issue of law and order in West Bengal and said that the situation was alarming.

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Dhankhar slams Mamata over law and order situation

Recently the Governor launched a scathing attack at the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government over the law and order situation in the state. Distressed over the situation, Dhankhar said terror groups like al-Qaeda were spreading their tentacles in the state while the IAS and IPS officers abdicated their responsibility. "I could never imagine that there could be such an abdication of authority by senior members of IAS and IPS. We have a state security advisor who is a retired DGP, what does he do? Is he is there out to carry out political acts?" he said on Thursday.

He further alleged that bomb-making factories were operating in West Bengal without any fear and explosives were even being transported in ambulances. His statements come after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested last month nine terrorists associated with a Pakistan-sponsored module of the al-Qaida from several locations in West Bengal's Murshidabad and Kerala's Ernakulam early. 

Last month there was a war of words between the governor and the Government of West Bengal where both sides were claiming to be factual over the 'crime data' in Bengal for the year 2020.

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(With ANI inputs)