Days after the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the West Bengal Governor over delay in clearing eight Bills passed by the State Assembly, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose told The Hindu in an interview that no Bill was pending with the Raj Bhavan.
The Governor brought up the issue of “illegal migrants” entering West Bengal, and said they were getting identity documents and Aadhaar cards, “arguably or allegedly aided and abetted by the State government”.
“To my knowledge, the only Bill pending in the Kolkata Raj Bhavan are the fuel bills. The West Bengal government has to release the money. No Bill passed by the Assembly is pending in the Raj Bhavan,” he said.
“Eight Bills are said to be pending. Six of them have been reserved for the President of India and one Bill is sub judice . The other Bill, I asked the Principal Secretary concerned to come and offer some clarifications, the government in its wisdom decided not to do so,” Mr. Bose said.
While six Bills pertaining to appointment of Vice-Chancellors in State universities have been pending since June 2022, the other two Bills were passed in August 2023. Last Friday, the SC issued notice to the Governor over the pending Bills after the West Bengal government moved the top court. Mr. Bose said the decision of the SC will be accepted “in letter and spirit”.
Asked about the increasing instances of confrontation between Governors and elected representatives in non-BJP-governed States, the Governor said, “Constitutional provisions are to be respected even if it is inconvenient to the elected government.”
Mr. Bose said “there is absolute clarity” in the Constitution and requested his “esteemed colleague the Chief Minister [Mamata Banerjee] to read the lines before reading between the lines”. “Constitution is very clear. When a Bill comes to the Governor from the Assembly, there are three options — assent to the Bill, return the Bill to the Assembly for reconsideration, reserve it for the President... I followed the option of sending it to the President. Because the Bill was very important... since it is a national issue, I thought it better to send it to the President,” he said.
Border security
Mr. Bose said allegations of demographic changes in districts along the Bangladesh border, made by BJP leaders, were “a highly complex issue”. “Border security is important for national security. There are breaches and there are allegations that the elected government of West Bengal is either not preventing it or aiding and abetting it... India cannot afford anything that goes against national security,” he said.
Mr. Bose said Ms. Banerjee’s statement on welcoming people from Bangladesh amid riots in Dhaka was a “transgression of constitutional duty and rights”.
“External affairs fall within the Union List. State has nothing to do with it. I admonished the government and under Article 167 of the Constitution asked for a factual report which is yet to come. Illegal migrants coming to the State are getting ID cards, Aadhaar and ration cards. This is a phenomenon going on in West Bengal, arguably or allegedly aided and abetted by the government. It should be nipped in the bud,” Mr. Bose said.
On BJP State president Sukanta Majumdar’s proposal to include north Bengal in the Northeast region, he said, “As Governor, I am not for knee-jerk reactions in such matters. I do not want to comment on the issue without studying it.”
Mr. Bose said the West Bengal government’s opposition to the three criminal laws “falls within the realms of politics”. “When such legislation are made, the States have to be consulted. West Bengal was consulted and now to take a turn that falls within the realms of politics and not constitutional propriety. I raised it with the CM and asked for a factual position... yet to get a response,” he said.
Published - July 31, 2024 12:00 am IST
