News Analysis India

Tag: Raj Bhawan

  • Mamata meets Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar amid tense ties between Raj Bhawan, Trinamool

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Amid the ongoing tussle between Raj Bhawan and the state government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar Wednesday held an hour-long meeting and discussed various issues related to the state.

    Dhankar said in a tweet the meeting was held without the presence of aides.

    “Hon’ble Chief Minister @MamataOfficial called on Hon’ble Governor Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar at Raj Bhavan today. The two had an hour-long interaction without aides.”  he tweeted.

    According to sources, the two discussed the resolution passed by the state assembly seeking creation of a legislative council.

    The West Bengal assembly had passed a resolution last week supporting an ad hoc committee report that favoured creation of a legislative council despite strident opposition by the BJP.

    “A lot of issues related to the state were discussed in the meeting, which was held in a very cordial atmosphere,” an official said.

    The meeting came amid growing animosity between Dhankhar and Banerjee, who recently said she has thrice written to the Centre demanding the governor’s recall.

    The faceoff between Dhankhar and Banerjee intensified last month when the chief minister accused the governor of being a “corrupted man” and claimed he was named in the Jain Hawala case.

    Dhankhar remonstrated, accusing her of propagating “lies and misinformation”.

    Dhankhar and the Banerjee government have been at loggerheads ever since he assumed office over a year ago.

    The governor has often expressed concern over the law and order situation, including the violence that followed the assembly polls held earlier this year.

  • To mark ‘undeclared emergency’, farmers call for gherao of Raj Bhawans across country on June 26

    By ANI
    SONEPAT: Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will stage demonstrations outside Raj Bhawans across the country on June 26 and observe the day as “Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas”.

    “June 26, 1975 was a black day in India’s history as on this day the government had announced the Emergency. The present situation is not far from that. It is like an undeclared emergency. Our agitation against the Centre’s three farm laws completes seven months on June 26. We will observe the day as Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas. We will protest outside Raj Bhawans across the country,” said Inderjit Singh, vice president, All India Kisan Sabha, Haryana.

    According to SKM, memorandums addressed to the President of India will be handed over to state governors.

    Farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws have been agitating for over six months. Many have camped at the borders of the national capital.

    Despite several rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmer leaders last year, the deadlock remains.

    Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. 

  • Appoint full-time official in Raj Bhawan: Chhattisgarh Governor writes to CM Baghel

    Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey has written to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel requesting that a “full-time official” be posted in Raj Bhawan.

    The state government earlier this month made the Secretary to Governor, Sonmoni Borah, the Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs with additional charges. Uikey, in her letter on Wednesday, reiterated the governor is the constitutional head of the state and that such changes should be made after taking her into confidence.

    In her letter, the governor wrote, “The officers who have been posted to the governor’s office have been given additional charges. The post of governor’s secretary is a cadre in its own, as through the governor the entire state is managed.” She added, “By the officials being on additional charges, the quality and the order might be affected. Hence, if a change is needed, an official panel should be sent as per the governor’s choice.”

    The letter pointed out that in the past, the governor and her office have always been taken into confidence whenever a need to change officials has arisen. “Respecting the position of the Governor, it would be better to appoint full time officials in the Raj Bhawan Secretariat, after taking my assent,” the letter read.

    Sources said that Uikey’s letter could be a new point of tussle with the government. Early this year, the Congress government had taken issue with the governor’s decision on appointment of the vice-chancellor of a journalism university. Following that, the government had sought to amend rules to give the power of appointing V-Cs to the state government. The amendment is still pending with Uikey.