CPM, Cong back TMC against Guv's 'recommendation' of Central rule

United News of India

05-05-2025

Kolkata, May 5 (UNI) In a rare instance, the CPI(M) and Congress have supported the West Bengal government and the ruling Trinamool Congress in opposing Governor CV Ananda Bose's mention of considering Article 356 of the Constitution -- recommending the President's rule -- in his report on the recent communal violence in Murshidabad district.
CPI(M) state secretary and politburo member Mohammed Salim in his statement said that transferring power from the West Bengal government to the Governor under President's Rule would not resolve the state's problems.
'What has been happening in Murshidabad and various other parts of the state clearly shows that Mamata Banerjee has failed in her roles as home minister, and chief minister. The state government has failed to maintain peace, harmony," he said. "However, that does not mean handing over power to the Governor through President's Rule will solve anything,' Salim wrote in his statement.
'The people of this state have had bitter experiences with President's rule. Even after turning a state into a Union Territory, a terrorist attack in J&K's Pahalgam could not be prevented. Now, even the National Security Advisor is untraceable. In Manipur, despite a 'double-engine' government, people's lives remain endangered. It is the elected state government that must take responsibility for protecting the lives of the people here. President's Rule is not a solution,' said the CPI(M) leader.
The Congress, too, strongly criticised the Governor. Terming his statement as, "constitutionally unwanted," "politically motivated" and against the federal structure of the country, the Congress in a written statement, said, 'The recommendation by West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose to impose President's Rule under Article 356 is a deeply alarming development that strikes at the heart of India's federal democratic framework. Such a move is not only constitutionally unwarranted, but also politically motivated, violating the basic tenets of cooperative federalism enshrined in the Constitution.'
Alleging that the imposition of President's rule, in its broader objective, is a political design of the BJP and RSS, the Congress statement, said, 'This act must also be seen in the broader context of the ideological objectives of the RSS and the BJP. Both have, in various forums, hinted at the long-term plan of fragmenting West Bengal — culturally rich and politically resilient — into smaller administrative units.'
'The imposition of President's rule, therefore, is not just a question of governance — it is a calculated attempt to undermine Bengal's political autonomy and pave the way for divide-and-rule politics. It must be opposed unequivocally by all democratic forces,' the statement read.
After his visit to trouble-torn Murshidabad, the Governor sent a report to Home Minister Amit Shah on the communal strife in the state where he suggested President's rule if the situation worsens. The report also recommended deployment of Central forces, a judicial inquiry and Central intervention.
Several former members of the Trinamool Congress strongly criticised the Governor's report for suggesting that the Union government consider invoking Article 356, with the party's West Bengal state general secretary calling the report biased and aligned with the BJP's political agenda.
Echoing this view, West Bengal Parliamentary Affairs and Agriculture Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay claimed the report's recommendations were made under instructions from the Union government, adding, 'So it is natural that the Governor will say all negative things about West Bengal in his report.'
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