Kolkata, Describing as “unconstitutional” the West Bengal government’s television advertisement saying the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will not be implemented in the state, governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday appealed to chief minister Mamata Banerjee to withdraw the campaign.
Speaking to reporters at the Raj Bhavan here, Dhankhar wondered how the head of a government could openly say her government would not implement a law passed by parliament and assented to by the president of India. He also questioned how the government could use public money to rail against the law of the land.
In the advertisements, Banerjee was heard saying the CAA would not be enforced in the state.
“How can an elected head of a government use public money to give advertisement in national media that there will be no NRC, no CAB in state? This advertisement is unconstitutional,” he said.
The governor said as the constitutional head of the state he had very “gracefully” drawn Banerjee’s attention to the issue, and urged her to withdraw it.
“I am sure you all will agree that public money can’t be used to lead an agitation against law of the land…
“I am sure the Chief Minister will at least withdraw advertisements, which state that the Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC will not be implemented in the state. These are unconstitutional. It is a criminal use of public funds.”
Coming down heavily on the escalating violence in the state against the CAA, he said public property was being damaged “in a wanton manner, ruthlessly and recklessly”.
“Fear has been put in the minds of people belonging to a certain section of the society,” he said, calling the law and order situation “unimaginable”.
He urged the chief minister to don the administrator’s robe and “act very fast” to restore peace.
“If she thinks she needs assistance from any quarters, then she should indicate. The greatest worry to me is that fear is injected in a section of society, particularly in Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia.
“Our constitution doesn’t allow this and the government must immediately take note of it and act very fast.”
Trains, railway stations and property, buses and toll plazas have been torched and vandalised in various parts of the state for three days till Sunday by anti-CAA protesters, who have also blocked the railway track and key national and state highways, throwing train and vehicular movements into disarray.
