Mamata Banerjee barred from making defamatory remark against Governor Ananda Bose

Calcutta High Court on Tuesday restrained Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee from making any defamatory or incorrect statement against Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose.

Bengal Governor Ananda Bose had moved a defamation suit against Mamata Banerjee, two newly-elected TMC MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar and party leader Kunal Ghosh. He also prayed for an interim order restraining them from making any further comment in connection with alleged incidents at Raj Bhavan.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday firmly stood by her statement that women had expressed fear about visiting the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, opposing a plea before the Calcutta High Court by Governor C V Ananda Bose for an interim order related to a defamation suit he filed against the Bengal CM and other TMC leaders.

Standing by her earlier comment, Banerjee’s lawyer submitted that she merely echoed the apprehensions of women over certain alleged activities in Raj Bhavan.

CV Ananda Bose, represented by his lawyer, sought to restrain Banerjee, two newly elected MLAs and another TMC leader from making further comments in connection with alleged incidents at Raj Bhavan.

On May 2, a contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan had made an allegation of molestation against Bose, following which the Kolkata Police started an enquiry.

Apart from the West Bengal chief minister, Governor Bose has filed the defamation suit against the two TMC MLAs and TMC leader Kunal Ghosh.

The chief minister's counsel claimed that the application is not maintainable and also that the court of Justice Rao does not have jurisdiction to hear the matter.

CM Mamata Banerjee's counsel SN Mookherjee said that her statement about the delay in oath-taking of the two MLAs over the impasse as to where they would take the oath was also not defamatory.

(With agency inputs)