Welcoming the Calcutta High Court’s interim order restraining West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and three others from making defamatory or inaccurate statements against him, West Bengal Chief Minister CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday said he would pray to God to light the way for Ms Banerjee.
“Truth will prevail. I pray that God illuminates the path of Mamata Banerjee. I am dedicated to serving the people of Bengal,” the governor said in a video statement issued by Raj Bhavan.
The governor’s comments came after Justice Krishna Rao of the high court restrained the governor from making any defamatory or inaccurate statements about the manuscript in print or on social platforms until August 14.
The governor approached the court after the chief minister said women were afraid to visit Raj Bhavan. The remarks came after a female Raj Bhavan contractual employee had filed a sexual harassment complaint against the governor on May 2.
In a separate development, the Governor asked Ms Banerjee to provide an immediate report on the objectives of a committee constituted by her government to review the amended CRPC, IPC and the Evidence Act.
Earlier in the day, the West Bengal government had formed a seven-member committee headed by a retired judge of the Calcutta High Court to review three criminal laws.
According to a notification issued by the West Bengal Home Department, “The State Government is pleased to constitute a committee to review the relevant penal codes Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA).”
“The chief minister wants a detailed report on whether the West Bengal government responded in a timely manner to the suggestions made by the government of India,” a statement from Raj Bhavan said.
“West Bengal cannot be a state within a state and cannot be turned into a banana republic,” the statement quoted the governor as saying.
The governor’s question came at a time when the West Bengal government is preparing to pass a resolution on three penal laws in the state assembly.
