Howrah Ram Navami clashes: Trinamool questions Raj Bhavan’s decision for setting up separate monitoring cell

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress on Saturday questioned the decision of West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose to set up special cell for real time monitoring the situation at Howrah’s Shibpur- Kazipara area in wake of the clashes over a Ram Navami procession that started on Thursday and continued till Friday afternoon.

On late Friday afternoon after the Governor took a detailed report from the state chief secretary H. K. Dwivedi and the state home secretary B. P. Gopalika about the situation in the tension-prone area, a strong-worded statement was issued by the Raj Bhavan from where the decision to set up this special monitoring cell was announced.

“Governor ordered real time monitoring of the situation and constituted a special cell for the same,” the statement of Raj Bhavan read.

The statement also mentioned about “a confidential discussion to review the situation” between the Governor and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

On Saturday, Trinamool Congress’ state general secretary and the party’s spokesman in West Bengal Kunal Ghosh said that it is not clear whether the decision to set up the special monitoring cell was just a verbal announcement or there had been formal notification in the matter.

Raising doubts over whether there are legal provisions on whether such a cell can be set up by the Raj Bhavan, Ghosh also expressed apprehension that in case the said cell procures information from independent or private sources, doubts will remain whether the information received was authentic or not.

However, BJP’s state spokesman Samik Bhattacharya has justified the setting up of the special monitoring cell by the Raj Bhavan.

“As the constitutional head of the state it is the duty of the Governor to protect the democratic rights of the citizens of the state. So, he is well within his limits to order the opening up of the cell just as he sought reports of the situation from the state chief secretary and state home secretary,” Bhattacharya said.

–IANS