Bengal Guv at loggerheads with TMC after setting up helpline at Rajbhavan over panchayat poll violence
Kolkata/IBNS: Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has set up a "peace room" at the Governor's House with helplines for those affected by violence during the panchayat polls.
According to reports, officials said they have attended to more than 300 calls on Monday. It has sparked strong criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Bose said he has spoken to victims, families of those who lost their lives, and also officials, political parties, government representatives, and the Election Commission.
However, the move has triggered strong criticisms from the ruling Trinamool Congress which contends that the Governor is listening only to the Opposition and has no right to set up such rooms.
The ruling party, whose relation with Bose's predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar was marked with regular tussles, has been so far smooth.
But after Bose's latest move, the party has attacked the Governor in no uncertain terms.
"We respect the chair of the Governor. But the Governor has no right to set up these kinds of rooms. This is beyond his jurisdiction. The Governor is behaving like an agent of the BJP and the opposition," said Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.
On his part, the Governor said that as an experienced bureaucrat, he knows formal reports are filtered. He said he wants to know the truth from the people, which is why he has conducted field visits and set up the helpline.