Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar says history will be created at state Budget session on Friday

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Thursday that history will be created as he delivers his opening speech before the Budget Session in state Assembly on Friday.

He said that he was the first Governor in the state born after Independence to deliver the address in the Assembly ahead of the Budget and his predecessors who have delivered the address were born before Independence.

He also added that even Governors can express their opinions like the state administration. According to Dhankhar, as the “constitutional head” of the state, he has right to add his suggestions to his address. The Governor’s speech is drafted by the state.

Junior law minister of the state, Chandrima Bhattacharya reacted to the remark, saying sarcastically, “as far as I know, Budget is not an area dealt with by the Governor. But he may be more educated than me in this matter. What do I know!”

On Tuesday, Dhankhar had spent over two hours with state chief secretary Rajiva Sinha discussing the speech that has been drafted for him by the state. He said that if he had any differences over any issues addressed in the speech then he would report those formally to the state administration. He also appreciated the time spent by the chief secretary in Raj Bhawan for discussing the issues.

Earlier, on Monday, state education minister Partha Chatterjee and finance minister Amit Mitra called on Dhankhar to discuss the speech in Raj Bhawan. On Wednesday, the Governor had said that he would give more importance to the welfare of the state and not let any confrontation between him and state government come in the way. He said that even if he had differences over certain issues in the Budget speech that was drafted by the state, he would be “accommodative, keeping in mind the rule of law, Indian Constitution and welfare of the state.”

Dhankhar has frequently been involved in major differences with the state government over various issues.