Bengal Governor a “corrupt” person, wrote thrice to Centre seeking his removal, says Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is a corrupt person, and his name was mentioned in a chargesheet in the past. Banerjee said at a press conference today that she had written to the Centre three times in the past seeking his “removal” from the position of West Bengal Governor.

Speaking at a press conference, Banerjee said “the Governor is a corrupt person”, and added that his name was in the chargesheet of the 1996 Hawala-Jain case.

Banerjee questioned Dhankhar’s visit to north Bengal now and the comments he made there on the functioning of the GTA, and added that Dhankhar is trying to foment trouble in the Hills. Already two BJP leaders – John Barla and Soumitra Khan – have spoken publicly about demands for parts of Bengal to be carved out of the state to form independent areas or Union Territories.

Trinamool Congress has filed complaints in police stations on the comments made by John Barla who has spoken about the demand for a separate UT for north Bengal. Under this background, Banerjee’s comments on Dhankhar is being seen as especially significant. “I have never seen a Governor like this,” Banerjee said, adding that he is fomenting divisive forces and voices. “I have already written thrice seeking his removal,” she said. Banerjee added that the Governor has been calling state government officers and threatening them. “He has told officers that they are under scanner,” Banerjee said. She alleged that Dhankhar has been going around meeting BJP leaders and working under instructions from the party at the Centre.