West Bengal governor alleges snooping in Raj Bhavan
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has claimed to have "reliable information" about snooping attempts in Raj Bhavan, his official residence. Bose told PTI that he had reported the issue to concerned authorities and would now "wait and watch." However, he didn't disclose who could be behind the alleged attempt. In September, he handed over the Raj Bhavan building's security from the Kolkata Police to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) after suspecting wiretapping by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government.
Why does this story matter?
This development comes amid an ongoing tussle between Bose and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) state government over a host of issues. He was appointed last year after his predecessor, Jagdeep Dhankhar, who also had a strained relationship with the state government, became the vice president. The TMC government has accused the governor of acting as the Centre's puppet and obstructing administration by stalling bills. The Supreme Court recently slammed governors, saying that withholding bills has become a trend.
22 bills pending in Raj Bhavan since 2011: Speaker
West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee previously pointed out delays in the governor's approval of bills. He noted that since 2011, a total of 22 bills have been pending in the Raj Bhavan, with six bills currently under Bose's examination. In response, the former bureaucrat asserted that no bill was pending with him except for those requiring clarification from the state government or under consideration by courts.
It is a fact: Bose on snooping
Governor's confrontations with state government on various issues
Previously, Bose had spats with the state government regarding the appointment of vice-chancellors of state universities. He also had confrontations over the state's foundation day, political violence, and the Centre withholding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) dues. Former Supreme Court judge Ashok Kumar Ganguly noted as per the Indian Constitution, a governor has to function according to the council of ministers' advice. But problems arise whenever the governor tries to run a parallel government, he said.
Tussle over Tagore
Last week, Bose renamed the Raj Bhavan's north gate as Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Gate. Earlier in November, he also sought a report from the Visva Bharati University vice-chancellor over the proposal to mention Rabindranath Tagore in the new plaques commemorating its recently accorded UNESCO World Heritage Site title. This came after the central university reportedly put up plaques marking the laurel with the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty but not Tagore, the university's founder.
