Dhankhar says Mamata referred to him as "Tu cheez badi hai

After the display of acrimony between the TMC government and the governor in the West Bengal Assembly, Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday hit out against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a series of tweets that included one for reportedly referring to him as "Tu cheez badi hai mast mast".

In a Twitter post, Dhankhar attached a clipping of a Bengali daily which reported that the chief minister, while speaking about the governor but without naming him, came out with the first line of the popular song of the 1994 Bollywood movie 'Mohra'.

"... daily on 27/11 carried this story (narrated to me by several others) as regards the Constitution Day at Assembly. Honble CM for Governor said 'Tu cheez badi hai mast mast'. I refrain from any response given the personal regard for her and the office she holds," he said in the microblogging site in the evening.

 

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were involved in a fresh war of words at the Constitution Day programme in the Assembly on Tuesday.

In another tweet on Wednesday afternoon, the governor posted a video of Banerjee talking to reporters after the conclusion of the Constitution Day programme.

She was seen in the footage thanking speakers and guests who took part in the event to mark 70 years of the adoption of the Constitution. While naming the dignitaries, she mentioned Dhankhar at the end.

"The video on the Constitution Day would leave nothing to imagination as to what precedence is accorded to the Constitutional Head of State. Time to engage in introspection and not in disinformation," the governor said in the tweet.

Dhankhar posted another video of the chief minister paying floral tribute to a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar along with former Lok Speaker Meira Kumar, and ex-governors of West Bengal Shyamal Sen, MK Narayanan and others.

"At 3 PM on constitution day Honble CM had involved participation with the dignitaries at the statue of Dr Ambedkar. At 5.30 when I paid flower tributes at the statue of Dr Ambedkar, this involvement was missing," he tweeted.

Earlier in a tweet, the governor said he has high regard for the chief minister and will never compromise on extending courtesy to anyone.

"I would never ever compromise on extending courtesy to anyone, much less Hon'ble CM for whom I have enormous personal regard. Surprisingly she made no expected move, leaving me bewildered. Was stumped. All including (ministers) Amit Mitra, Partho (Chatterjee), Abdul Manan (Congress MLA and leader of opposition in Bengal Assembly) greeted by me as all MLAs," Dhankhar said.

Dhankhar's statement came a day after he and Banerjee chose not to exchange greetings, but preferred to hit out at each other during a special session of the Assembly on Tuesday.

There was, however, no direct exchange of words as Banerjee spoke after the governor left the House, where the special session was on to mark Constitution Day on the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution.

At the programme, the governor claimed that the post of the constitutional head of the state has been "seriously compromised" while Banerjee shot back saying that the post is being "grossly misused".

The chief minister also said that Dhankhar is engaging in a spat with her on the direction of the BJP-ruled government at the Centre.

The governor and the TMC government have been locked in bitter exchange of words on a number of issues ranging from the seating arrangement for Dhankhar at the Durga Puja carnival, to comments on his security detail ever since he rushed to Jadavpur University to "rescue" Union minister Babul Supriyo, who was heckled and manhandled by students.

A tussle had also erupted over the state government's refusal to provide a helicopter to Dhankhar to travel to Farakka in Murshidabad district and Santiniketan in Birbhum district.