West Bengal Governor slams Mamata Banerjee over 'regionalism'

Kolkata, Jan 29: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday has slammed State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and accused her of regional appeasement ahead of upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Governor Dhankar attacked Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government and said on Twitter that political neutrality is being compromised in the state, while political commitment is being promoted.

Terming it an alarming scenario, Governor Dhankhar shared a video of Banerjee in which she can be heard saying that her government doesn't discriminate among people on the basis of language.

"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 (sic)," Dhankar tweeted.

"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," he added.

Earlier, in a bid to appease the non-Bengali speaking voters in the state, Bengal CM had said she has an "excellent relationship" with many of her IAS and IPS officers are from other states, including Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. "If we live together throughout, why should there be a division during elections?" she asked.