The tense exchange between West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee escalated on Monday after the Governor directed Kolkata Police to conduct a search inside the Raj Bhavan premises to determine whether arms and ammunition were being stored there.
The Governor’s decision came in response to Kalyan Banerjee’s allegation that Bose was giving shelter to BJP “goons” and providing them with weapons to target Trinamool workers. The senior MP from Sreerampore had made the remarks on Saturday while reacting to Bose’s comments on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, where he claimed the process helped “purify” the voter list.
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Kalyan had said, “As long as an incompetent governor like you remains, as long as a BJP-servant governor remains, you will never see anything good happening in West Bengal.”
On Monday afternoon, police officers, a bomb squad with a sniffer dog, disaster management teams and CRPF personnel entered Raj Bhavan and carried out searches across rooms and lawns. Employees were asked to step out while the Governor personally supervised the operation.
“Nothing was found during the search. I made it very clear, I have decided to take strong action if fake allegations are made, strong actions will be taken,” Bose told the ANI.
In 2024, molestation allegations against Bose made by a Raj Bhavan employee were declared false and baseless following an inquiry led by a retired judge.
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A day earlier, the Governor had termed Kalyan’s accusation “inflammatory, explosive and irresponsible.”
He demanded an unconditional apology from the MP to the people of Bengal, warning of legal steps otherwise, while Kalyan Banerjee threatened to countersue if any action was taken.
"When a ruling party MP says that arms and ammunition are there inside Raj Bhavan, is he expressing his lack of confidence in the police force of the state?" the Governor asked on Sunday, while talking to ANI.
“Raj Bhavan has been open since early morning for around 100 people, including the public and journalists, for inspection and verification of any arms and ammunition stacked within the premises. Already, some people have come, and some are still coming. They can see everything themselves," he added.
He also added a quote from Jesus, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” The BJP, too, condemned Kalyan’s comments.
