Levelling a series of sensational allegations against West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday accused him of threatening and insulting her and said at one point, she was unable to take the “humiliation” and felt like quitting.
Using unusually strong language, Banerjee said the governor spoke as a functionary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and not like the state’s constitutional head.
“The governor told me many things today. I have been deeply insulted and humiliated by the comments of the governor... He has threatened me and talked to me like a block president of the BJP. I have told him ‘you cannot talk to me like this. I hold an elected constitutional post,” an angry Banerjee told media here yesterday.
Revealing that Tripathi had called her on her phone, she said: “The post of the governor is a constitutional one, he has to follow constitutional norms. Mine is also a constitutional post.
“I have not come to power at his mercy. I have not come to power due to the benevolence of BJP, CPI-M or Congress. I have come to power because of the mandate of the people, whereas the governor has been nominated by the centre...,” she said.
Holding that there should be mutual respect between the governor and the chief minister, Banerjee said she had even thought of stepping down from the post after the barrage of “insults”.
“We are not servants. He is a constitutional post holder, I respect him. He should reciprocate by showing respect for me too. I run a government. After today’s insult, at one point I thought I would quit. I have not been insulted like this anytime in the past,” said Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo.
Banerjee said Tripathi spoke to her regarding some trouble between two communities since Monday.
Accusing religious leaders of both communities of inciting the violence in exchange for money, Banerjee said: “I warn leaders from both communities, my patience should not be taken as my weakness. I will not tolerate this hooliganism.”
Noting that a Facebook post had triggered the conflict, she said the police had promptly arrested the person who wrote the post but “ the other group put up road blockades, attacked the police, and burnt a police jeep”.
“Why are you on the streets and not countering it on Facebook?” she asked. “If police had opened fire, 100 people would have died. I cannot fire on the masses. It is because of you that I had to face so much insults. I am not here to be chief minister, I am here to help the people. It will take only a second for me to leave the chair.
“I again tell the governor, ‘don’t behave like this’,” said a fuming Banerjee.
India
