Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, replying to a directive from Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to meet him over “dangerous developments in the temples of education”, has directed Education Minister Partha Chatterjee to discuss all issues with the Raj Bhavan.
Banerjee’s missive came on December 26, a day after Dhankhar wrote to her, the Governor said on Twitter, where he also made public the Chief Minister’s letter.
“I wrote to the Chief Minister on December 25 that education scenario in the state is worrisome,” Dhankhar said after he was obstructed for two days in a row earlier this week by the students and pro-Trinamool Congress staff union when he went to the Jadavpur University campus.
On Tuesday when Dhankhar arrived to attend the convocation, a section of the non-teaching staff affiliated to the ruling Trinamool showed him black flags and blocked his car railing against his comments supporting the new citizenship law. Dhankhar left without attending the convocation after a 90-minute wait.
On Monday too, a large number of JU students and staff had blocked Dhankhar’s car and staged a black flag demonstration, besides raising “Go back” slogans against him when he arrived at the campus to attend the JU court meeting. Dhankhar had to return to Raj Bhavan without attending the meeting.
“The two-days’ events at Jadavpur University caused me pain. The majority of students want peaceful situation on the campus. Somehow or the other, the Vice Chancellor could not perform his duty,” the Governor told media persons on Saturday.
Banerjee, in her letter, said that since the subject matter pertained to the Department of Education: “I am forwarding the letter to Partha Chatterjee, Education Minister, to discuss all the issues with you at a convenient time.”
Happy at Banerjee’s response, Dhankhar said efforts to ensure improvement in the education scenario seem to be “bearing results”.
“I look forward to this. In democracy we have to move in togetherness,” he said.
Chatterjee, however, remarked that the Governor has tweeted a confidential letter.
“I will sent him a letter by Tuesday,” he said.
