West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. File
| Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI
Opposing the plea filed by Governor C. V. Ananda Bose before the Calcutta High Court, lawyers representing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that there was “nothing defamatory” in her statement on the Raj Bhavan.
Ms. Banerjee had said that women are not feeling safe to visit Raj Bhavan after an employee made allegations of sexual harassment against the Governor.
The Chief Minister, represented by senior counsel and former West Bengal Advocate General S.N. Mookherjee, argued that the remarks were in public interest and not defamatory.
Governor Bose, represented by senior counsel Dhiraj Trivedi, sought that the Chief Minister and two MLAs, Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar, be stopped from making comments against the Governor. He said the MLAs had written to him seeking to take oath at the State Assembly administered by the Speaker or by the Governor, but they did not mention any apprehension or fear as allegedly suggested later.
Mr. Mookherjee argued that the petition was not maintainable.
The Governor has filed defamation cases against the MLAs as well as Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh.
The defamation case, being heard in the court of Justice Krishna Rao, marks a new low in the relations between the Raj Bhavan and the State government after it emerged in May that a woman employee of the Raj Bhavan had made allegations of sexual harassment against the Governor. As per Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a Governor during his term in office.
Meanwhile, after a month-long tussle over swearing in of Ms. Sayantika and Mr. Hossain Sarkar, a fresh issue has emerged over the swearing in of four Trinamool Congress MLAs who won bypolls held on July 10. Speaker Biman Banerjee said he has urged the Governor to administer oaths to the four MLAs in the State Assembly. On the last occasion, after the MLAs refused to go to Raj Bhavan and the Governor did not turn up at the Assembly, two MLAs were administered oath in a special session of the Assembly.