CPI(M) writes to Prez on WB guv's apology demand

Prakash Karat shot off a letter to President, saying Narayanan's statement was unwarranted and does not behove the post of the Governor

CPI(M) today urged President Pranab Mukherjee to decide whether West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan's "political interventions" in seeking an apology from the party Politburo for the Delhi incident, involving Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was justified.

Party General Secretary Prakash Karat shot off a letter to the President, saying Narayanan's statement was "unwarranted and does not behove the post of the Governor of a state".

Maintaining that widespread attacks were going on in West Bengal against CPI(M) and Left parties' offices and leaders, he said the Governor's statement "has only encouraged these elements."

Quoting the statement, Karat said while one could understand the Governor condemning the incident, but Narayanan "has gone much beyond that and called it (Delhi incident) a 'shocking pre-meditated assault on the Chief Minister, the Finance Minister and other senior Ministers'."

"How is it that Narayanan sitting in Raj Bhavan in Kolkata has come to the unfounded and totally baseless conclusion that there was a pre-meditated assault on the Chief Minister and others? In fact, the entire visual media showed how the Chief Minister entered and left Yojana Bhavan without any hindrance.

"It is highly improper for the Governor of a state, who holds a constitutional post, to declare that a political party or leaders have 'forefeited their right to function within a democratic framework'," Karat said.

"As the President of India, it is for you to decide whether such political interventions by the Governor are justified. I hope you will study the statement and advise the Governor, who is your representative, accordingly," the CPI(M) General Secretary said in the letter.