Dhankhar raises concern over Mamata’s reference to relations with non-Bengali bureaucrats

By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday raised concern over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s reference to her relations with non-Bengali bureaucrats in a bid to woo Hindi-speaking voters ahead of the assembly elections due in April-May.

Banerjee, while interacting with Hindi-speakers at the TMC headquarters on Thursday, had said that many of her officers like DGP Virendra, former chief secretary Rajiva Sinha and former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar are from other states and they share excellent relations with her.

Reiterating that the political neutrality of bureaucrats has been compromised, the governor asserted that the official positioning of the state government cannot be on considerations of regionalism.

“Why in name of officials! Why drag administration @HomeBengal & police @WBPolice in this! Surely official positioning @MamataOfficial cannot be on such considerations of regionalism or otherwise. Time to set high standards as already there was abysmal low in earlier elections,” Dhankhar tweeted.

During the interaction, Banerjee had accused the BJP of creating a Bengali-non-Bengali divide and urged the Hindi- speaking voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the ruling party in the state.

Sharing a video of Banerjee’s reference to the officials, Dhankhar tweeted: “Deeply concerned and disturbed at video @MamataOfficial-attention drawn by political & otherwise worried quarters.

Alarming scenario! ‘POLITICAL NEUTRALITY’ @WBPolice @HomeBengal being compromised & political commitment promoted.

This aberration augurs ill for fair election.