WB guv needling Mamata govt-TMC; allegations baseless-Guv

Trinamool Congress today accused West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi of "needling Mamata Banerjee government" and alleged that the Raj Bhawan has "virtually turned into state headquarters of BJP", a charge termed as "wrong and baseless" by the governor.
"Under Mr Tripathi, Raj Bhawan has become a hotbed of intrigue and virtually the state headquarters of the BJP. Almost every day, party leaders and ideologues seem to meet here to discuss new ways of needling the Mamata Banerjee government. BJP has finally found its leader in West Bengal and its face for the 2016 Assembly election," TMC National Spokesperson Derek O'Brien said in a statement.

"The latest excuse is the unfortunate and condemnable violence, limited to a few pockets, that accompanied municipal polls last week," he said.
Asked to comment on TMC's statement, the governor told PTI, "The allegations are wrong and baseless. Raj Bhawan doesn't need to react to all rubbish talks."
The TMC spokesperson also said "Mr Tripathi is an honoured guest in West Bengal. He can be a guiding figure for our state. But he has to decide whether he is West Bengal's elder statesman or Delhi's Viceroy. He cannot be both. The Raj Bhawan shakha must stop.
"The incumbent in Raj Bhawan is supposed to be apolitical, and meant to be scrupulously neutral, especially in these days of so-called cooperative federalism".

O Brien's statement came a day after TMC Secretary General and Education Minister Partha Chatterjee's comment that people will unitedly protest if the governor and state election commission "tried to hatch conspiracy and break the democratic system in the state".
Chatterjee had also accused the State Election Commissioner S R Upadhyay of "playing into the hands of BJP" by postponing counting of votes in the election to Bidhannagar and Asansol municipal corporations following allegations of large-scale violence by the opposition parties.