West Bengal Governor threatens legal action after TMC MP alleges arms stockpile in Raj Bhavan

KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Sunday threatened to take legal action against veteran Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee for the “invective” remarks he made a day earlier, triggering a political face-off.Kalyan alleged that the Governor’s House, Raj Bhavan, was allowing the stocking of arms and ammunition for BJP leaders inside its premises. The MP from Sreerampore in Hooghly district also claimed that the Governor was providing shelter to “criminals (BJP leaders)” inside the Raj Bhavan complex and giving them weapons to attack ruling party workers.“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,” Kalyan added.The remarks prompted Bose to respond on Sunday. Speaking to reporters, the Governor said the allegations were “inflammatory, explosive, and irresponsible.” He demanded an apology from Kalyan, failing which he would take legal action.“When a ruling party MP says that arms and ammunition are there inside the Raj Bhavan, is he expressing his lack of confidence in the police force of the state?” Bose asked.Bose added that Raj Bhavan had been kept open since early morning for around 100 people, including the public and journalists, to inspect and verify whether any arms and ammunition were stocked on the premises. “Already some people have come, and some are still coming. They can see everything themselves,” he said.Meanwhile, the Raj Bhavan, in an official statement, demanded an apology from Kalyan and called for an immediate inquiry into the matter, noting that the MP’s allegations suggested a breach of “Z-plus” category security for the Governor.The BJP also strongly criticised Kalyan Banerjee’s remarks. BJP MP Jaganath Sarkar said Kalyan had “lost his mental balance,” adding that action should be taken against him for such comments. BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul said that if arms and ammunition were indeed found inside Raj Bhavan, it would imply criticism of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, since the security of Raj Bhavan is handled by Kolkata Police, which is under her government.



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