West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Friday initiated a defamation suit against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Calcutta High Court.
This move followed Banerjee’s recent statement alleging that women were fearful of visiting the Raj Bhavan due to certain activities there, according to a source.
Earlier in the day, Governor Bose expressed his disapproval of Banerjee’s remarks, emphasizing that it is expected of public representatives not to create "erroneous and slanderous impressions."
The Governor also filed defamation suits against specific leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) who made similar remarks, the source revealed.
During an administrative meeting at the state secretariat on Thursday, Banerjee asserted that "women have informed her they are afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to recent incidents reported there."
"Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Friday approached the Calcutta High Court and filed a defamation suit against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party leaders for their comments," the source said.
On May 2, a contractual female employee of Raj Bhavan had alleged molestation by Bose, prompting a probe by the Kolkata Police.
When contacted, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen expressed the need to consult party leadership before commenting on the matter.
"I have to talk to my party leadership to find out what actually happened. This is quite a sensitive matter," Sen said.
Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha voiced his support for Bose's decision.
"I think Governor Bose has taken the right decision. He should have taken this decision long back. I fully support him for this," Sinha said.
Veteran CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty criticised the ongoing tussle between Bose and Banerjee, stating that it is detrimental to the state.
"It's actually taking us down. They seem to have forgotten their Constitutional responsibilities. Their acts are damaging West Bengal's image at the national level," Chakraborty remarked.
Follow us
