Will fight the battle: Mamata steps up attack on Bengal Guv

Signalling an all out war against Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused him of running a parallel administration in her state, and withholding permission before even introduction of bills in the assembly. She said her government would "fight the battle".

"There is a parallel government administration in Bengal too. You have seen Maharashtra. If you see my state, you will see what is going on is 100 per cent more than Maharashtra.

"I am sorry to say my House is adjourned, because the bills are not being signed. It is not the final bill, just introduction of the bill," she said at a function here.

"These bills were not being discussed even. Just we need permission to introduce a bill in the House for discussion.

"So in that, also we are facing a problem. We don't mind, we will fight it out. Let us fight the battle," she said.

In an unprecedented decision, Speaker Biman Banerjee on Tuesday adjourned the House for two days saying Bills scheduled to be placed before the members were yet to get the green signal from Dhankhar.

In a hard-hitting response soon after the Speaker's announcement, the Raj Bhavan denied any delay and said the bills were pending on account of "lack of input or response" from the respective departments.

Hours before the Chief Minister's outburst, Dhankhar made a pre-announced visit to the assembly, found the gate earmarked for his movements locked, and entered through another gate. Neither the Speaker, not senior assembly officials were present to welcome him.

Coming out, he took on the Mamata Banerjee government, saying a "deathly silence" greeted him in the Assembly, and said the entire chain of events was a "threat to democracy" and a "shame". IANS