West Bengal governor files defamation suit against CM Mamata Banerjee over 'women scared to go to Raj Bhavan' remark

NEW DELHI: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, on Friday, filed a defamation suit against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after she said that women were afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to its recent activities, PTI reported citing sources.

Earlier in the day, Bose criticised her for the remarks and said that it was expected of public representatives not to create "erroneous and slanderous impressions."

The Governor also initiated legal action against certain TMC leaders who made similar remarks, the source added.

Banerjee on Thursday alleged that women, who felt unsafe going to Raj Bhavan after reports of certain activities there, complained to her.

"As it is, after what happened in the Raj Bhavan, women are scared to go there. I have received complaints,” the chief minister said.

Referring to allegations of molestation of a woman in the Governor House in May, actor-turned-politician Sayantika Bandopadhyay on Thursday said, "My family members won't allow me to go to Raj Bhavan alone as they are also aware of reports of a woman being molested there. Who will take the responsibility for my safety and security?"

In May, one of the women employees accused the state Governor of molesting her. Bose called the allegations a "baseless and absurd drama".

These comments came after Bose invited two TMC MPs, Sayantika Bandyopadhyay and Rayat Hossain Sarkar, to take oath at Raj Bhavan. Both of them refused to take oath at Raj Bhavan as requested by Bose, instead staging a dharna in the assembly complex since Thursday, insisting that the swearing-in take place in the Vidhan Sabha, as per PTI.

The Governor's office clarified that the newly elected MLAs had initially requested a venue shift to the Assembly due to personal preferences but had not raised any specific safety concerns about Raj Bhavan otherwise.

"The newly elected MLAs had requested the Hon'ble Governor to consider shifting the venue to the Assembly because of their personal preferences and never expressed any apprehensions about coming to Raj Bhavan otherwise," the post added.

When the MLAs declined the governor's invitation to take the oath at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, Bose left for Delhi the same evening.

Responding to the developments, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen refrained from commenting without consulting party leadership, citing the sensitivity of the matter.

Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha voiced support for Bose's actions, stating, "Governor Bose made the right move, and I stand fully behind him."

Meanwhile, CPI(M) veteran Sujan Chakraborty lamented the ongoing friction between Bose and Banerjee, asserting that their discord was detrimental to West Bengal's reputation nationally.