West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, on Thursday lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and termed her the "Lady Macbeth of Bengal". Saying he would "socially boycott" her, Bose declared he would henceforth not share any public platform with Banerjee over the outrage over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital here.
"It is irony that the Health Minister happens to be the Home Minister. The Lady Macbeth of West Bengal holds the waters of Hooghly but cannot cleanse the tainted hands. The Home Minister is CM and CM is protesting instead of protecting. There is violence in the street, hospital, and cities," he said.
"I will not share any public platform with the chief minister. I will take proactive steps against her for violating Constitutional provisions. My role as the Governor will be confined to the Constitutional obligations," added Bose.
His comments came a day after Banerjee claimed she was "ready to quit her chair" for the sake of justice, referring to protests against the rape-murder and hinted that they were orchestrated in an attempt to bring down her government.
"I am even ready to quit for the sake of justice for the common people. But they don't want justice. They just want the chair," she said.
Bose's comments triggered sharp criticism from TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, who said that being Governor, he had no business making such comments.
"He cannot make such statements from the Governor's chair. He is politically motivated. And what does he mean by boycotting the Chief Minister? On August 15, as part of constitutional protocol, the Chief Minister went to Raj Bhawan, but she maintained her distance, sitting with others. It was the Governor who approached her. The Chief Minister is already maintaining her distance," Ghosh said.
The incident of rape and murder of the trainee doctor sparked countrywide outrage as doctors protested to demand justice for the victim. Even after a Supreme Court directive to resume work by evening September 10, the striking doctors continued with the strike.
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