Governor eager to attend Kali puja at Mamata's place, keen to

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who had been locked in a war of words with the TMC government on various issues, on Saturday said he will attend Kali puja at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence Sunday on her invitation.

The governor said he was "eagerly" waiting to be a part of the celebrations at CM's Kalighat residence.

He said when he meets Banerjee Sunday he will request her to include him in spreading communal harmony which she has been doing for the past 30 years at her residence on the occasion of 'Bhatridwitiya' or 'Bhai Dooj'.

Dhankhar likened communal harmony with the pitutary gland in a human body and said "if there is any problem then the body starts suffering."

While inaugurating a Kali puja marquee at a club in Barasat, North 24 Parganas district, the governor maintained that he was more than happy to have got the invitation for the puja - held every year at the CM's Kalighat residence since 1978.

 

"I had written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that I and my wife wanted to be at her residence on the occasion of 'Bhai Dooj'. The chief minister, after coming back from her North Bengal tour, wrote back inviting me and the First Lady to be a part of Kali puja at her residence.

"We are very happy to get her invitation and are eagerly waiting to attend the puja. Hopefully, I don't need to answer any other questions," Dhankhar told reporters at Barasat.

A statement issued by the Governor's House said that Banerjee, in her letter to Dhankhar on October 24, clarified that 'Bhatridwitiya' or 'Bhai Dooj' was one of those occasions when she reaches out to other communities to spread the message of peace and harmony. The festival will be celebrated on October 29 (Tuesday).

"The issue of communal harmony is very close to the governor's heart. In the nation, all of us need to work for communal harmony. The governor would also interact on this issue with Banerjee," it added.

While inaugurating a Kali puja in the heart of the city, the governor said "She (the cm) has also written that for the last 30 years she has been busy in works of communal harmony. I want to be part of Banerjee's communal harmony programme. I will request her tomorrow to include me in that."

"The essence of the Indian Constitution lies in harmony and communal harmony and the day the delicate balance of the body is lost then it will be not be good for the country. The communal harmony is like the pitutary gland of a body and if there is any problem then the body starts suffering," he said.

Speaking further, Dhankhar said opposing somebody is not bad when it is done in a manner one does not lose decency and love toward others.

"I feel one can exercise his right to oppose by being decent. Opposition cannot be equated with enmity. It also does not mean losing mutual love and respect towards each other," the governor elaborated.

Incidentally, a controversy had erupted on Friday after a TMC leader, who is also the chief patron of the Barasat club, stepped down from the post over the decision to invite Dhankhar.

Sunil Mukherjee, the chairman of TMC-run Barasat Municipality, said he was unhappy with the club's move as the "governor had a bias against the state government".

Dhankhar, who took oath as the governor of West Bengal on July 30, had been at loggerheads with the TMC government over several issues -- ranging from his seating arrangement at the Durga Puja carnival to security upgrade -- since he rushed to Jadavpur University on September 19 to "rescue" Union minister Babul Supriyo, who was being "heckled" by a section of students.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya lauded Bengal governor as "an accomodating man", and condemned the "manner" the constitutional head of the state was targetted by some on the political lines.

Without naming any person or political party, Bhattacharya said Dhankhar should be shown proper honour, support and given all sorts of help.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly- Abdul Mannan- also heaped praise on Dhankhar.

"I have come across at least 15 governors in my political career, but I have not seen anyone like Dhankharji who is not only the head of the state but also the representative of the people. He never thinks himself as the governor. He has won hearts of the people through love," Mannan, a senior Congress leader, said.