Union Information and Technology Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday lambasted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her public criticism of state's Governor.
Mamata on Wednesday was embroiled in a spat with West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathi over Baduria violence, which erupted over an objectionable post on Facebook about a holy site.
Naidu told media here that if Mamata had any problem then she should have contacted Home Minister instead of publicly criticising the Governor.
"If there is problem, then HM should be told about it but publicly to give statements on Governor is not correct. The Constitution gives Governors an important position and they will act according to that only. If there is a serious issue then a Governor can give advice to a chief minister and it is up to the chief minister whether to take that advice or not. However, making public statement by taking Governor's name is not right," Naidu said.
The Minister alleged that in order to divert the attention from the main issue (Baduria violence) criticising the Governor is not going to benefit Mamata and said, "The West Bengal Government should be sensitive towards the people."
"West Bengal Governor is a through gentleman and goes by the Constitution and is liked by all. Today I have seen the Congress party's West Bengal unit president's statement that WB Governor is a through gentleman," Naidu said.
The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader asserted that "the Governors appointed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government are acting as per the spirit of the Constitution".
He also trained his guns against the Congress over the issue.
"Today I read that the Congress is giving advice to us. The Congress has the history of disrespecting the Governors. During the Congress rule, we have experienced that Raj Bhawans were turned into Gandhi Bhawan (Congress offices).
When asked about the proposed July 11 meeting of the 17 political parties for the Vice President election, Naidu said, "Uniting, dividing is their habit. This practice of uniting without a common programme, ideology and without a leader will never succeed. They made a national front which became a notional front; they became an untied front which became a divided front; they formed a Third Front which became a distant Third Front. Now, we have seen in the Rashtrapati election (President election) that we are untied and they are divided; We are moving forward, they are looking backwards."
He maintained that "Ram Nath Kovind is now a nominee of the BJP, but a candidate of many political parties and will win President election with a comfortable margin".
He again cornered the Congress over its stand on the President election.
As the Congress is not being able to digest the situation, it is trying to divert the attention of the people by saying that it (President election) is an ideological contest.
"What is ideological contest? The Rashtrapati has to go by the ideology of the commitment to the Constitution and the other issues are not involved in it at all."
He continued tirade against Congress and held it responsible for creating rift in the society.
"The party which has ruled the country and ruined the country; which is responsible for division among the people; for creating academic disparities, for creating social tensions, for communal tensions is now talking about secularism, about safeguarding the democracy and also about bringing social harmony. You (Congress), who were in power all these years, are responsible for the present atmosphere in the country," Naidu said.
He took a jibe at Congress over ideological battle, and said, "Ideological battle is over in 2014 and there is no scope for it till 2019.
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