West Bengal Governor bans entry of police, state Finance Minister into Raj Bhavan

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose

Following allegation of alleged sexual harassment against the West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, the Governor issued an order on Thursday banning the entry of the police and Minister of State for Finance, Chandrima Bhattacharya, into the Raj Bhavan. In an order, the Raj Bhavan said that the entry of West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya into the Raj Bhavan premises of Kolkata, Darjeeling and Barrackpore is banned for "defamation and anti-constitutional media statements".

"For defamation and anti-constitutional media statements against Governor, a junior gubernatorial appointee Chandrima Bhattacharya, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Department of Finance has been banned entry into the Raj Bhavan premises of Kolkata, Darjeeling and Barrackpore," the order said.

It further said that the Governor has also instructed that he will not participate in any function attended by the Minister. "The Attorney General of India has been contacted for further advice on further legal steps against the Minister," the order added. An employee at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata on Thursday alleged that she was sexually harassed by West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. The woman also lodged a complaint at the Hare Street police station in Kolkata.

The governor has also banned the entry of police into Raj Bhavan premises in the guise of conducting unauthorized, illegitimate, sham and motivated 'investigation' to placate political bosses during elections, the statement said. West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that prior to the Prime Minister's visit to the state, a woman had filed a complaint against the Governor accusing the latter of molestation.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is arriving in Bengal. His stay has been arranged at the Raj Bhavan. Before this, a woman has gone to the police station to file a complaint against the Governor accusing him of molestation," Bhattacharya said. "What kind of incident is this, when the Governor says that he will create a 'peace room' and listen to everyone's problems, but here the same Governor is insulting women," she added.

The West Bengal Governor, in a separate statement, said that he will not be cowed down by "engineered narratives" and the "truth shall triumph" after TMC leaders claimed that a woman working at Raj Bhavan levelled allegations of molestation against him. "Truth shall triumph. I refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives. If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal," the Governor said.

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