Bengal Guv to lead search ops at Raj Bhavan for arms after TMC's blame

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose will lead a team of security personnel, who would carry out a search operation at the Raj Bhavan on Monday in the wake of allegations by a TMC MP that arms and ammunition were stacked within its premises, an official said.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee had on Saturday accused Bose of "sheltering BJP criminals" inside the Raj Bhavan and "arming them with bombs and guns".

"The entire Raj Bhavan will be searched by a joint team of the Kolkata Police and central forces deputed here on Monday to find out whether there are arms and ammunition stacked inside. The Governor will be leading the search operation," the official told PTI.

 

Bose, who was on a short trip to North Bengal, cut short his tour to spearhead the operation, he said.

"There would also be deployment of Kolkata Police personnel at the Raj Bhavan Police outpost, along with the bomb and dog squads. Officials of the Disaster Management & Civil Defence departments will also participate in the search," he said.

To facilitate the combing operation, the Raj Bhavan premises will be evacuated on Monday afternoon.

Members of the civil society and journalists will be allowed to accompany Bose during the exercise, which will be live streamed, the official said.

The TMC MP had made the allegations on Saturday, hours after Bose said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was essential to "clean up the election process".

Bose on Sunday said he sought legal opinion over Banerjee's allegations, prompting the lawmaker to say he is ready for a battle in court and that he cannot be intimidated.