Women afraid to go to Raj Bhavan: Mamata Banerjee on delay in MLA oath-taking

KOLKATA: CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday took aim at Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose, saying “women don’t feel safe to go to Raj Bhavan”. The CM was reacting to the delay in the oath-taking of newly elected MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar. The two MLAs continued their dharna in front of BR Ambedkar’s statue at the assembly on Thursday, after “waiting for the governor” on the House stairs on Wednesday.
The CM said: “The governor is not allowing MLAs to take oath and has kept them waiting.He did not authorise the speaker or the deputy speaker to administer the oath. Why should the MLAs go to Raj Bhavan?” She added that the legislators haven’t been able to start working due to the delay in swearing-in.
Not referring to the two molestation complaints — one by a former staffer and another by a Odissi dancer — against Bose, the CM said that keeping in mind the incidents at Raj Bhavan, women didn’t feel safe to go there.
Meanwhile, assembly speaker Biman Banerjee wrote to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, requesting her intervention in the matter. “The governor should come to the eassembly for the oath-taking,” he said.
Asked about the situation, Sayantika said: “I do not know what is my fault and why the governor is not arranging for our swearing-in. The governor should say who will administer our oath, as the speaker and deputy speaker have not been informed and as newcomers, we are not aware of the rules of the assembly.” The two MLAs wrote to the governor on Wednesday again, urging him to arrange for their oath-taking. Bose is in Delhi and met Vice-President Jagdeep dhankhar on Thursday. Raj Bhavan sources hinted that the governor was yet to take any decision on administering oaths in the assembly.
In a new development, entry and exit of Raj Bhavan staffers has to be recorded with Kolkata Police. This comes after Bose wanted to remove the cops from Raj Bhavan campus.