Bengal Governor summons chief secretary over post-poll violence

The governor said the state Home Secretary failed to apprise him of law and order situation regarding post-poll violence

Stating that the state Home Secretary failed to apprise him of law and order situation regarding post-poll violence, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday asked the Chief Secretary to see him by evening.

Dhankhar tweeted that the home secretary did not forward reports of the state's director general of police (DGP) and commissioner of Kolkata police to him in this regard.

"Chief Secretary @MamataOfficial has been called upon to see me today before 7 PM as ACS Home @HomeBengal failed to impart status report on law and order regarding post-poll violence," the governor said in his tweet.

"Such drifting of governance @MamataOfficial from constitutional prescriptions is unfortunate and cannot be overlooked.

"While the state passes through most severe post-poll violence, there is just no input to the constitutional head. This is least expected," Dhankhar wrote.

The West Bengal has been marred with large scale violence after completion of bitterly fought state elections.

The chief minister has said that 16 persons of different political parties have lost their lives in clashes after the end of the polls.

A four-member team of the Union Home Ministry, tasked with looking into reasons for the post-poll violence in Bengal, had met Dhankhar at Raj Bhawan the previous day.