A woman employee at the Raj Bhavan in West Bengal on Thursday accused state Governor CV Ananda Bose of molesting her, a charge that the Raj Bhavan and the Governor have denied. The woman, a resident in the quarters located within the Raj Bhavan premises, first approached the Raj Bhavan outpost from where she was taken to the Hare Street police station.
The state police have recorded the woman’s statement in relation to her complaint but are yet to register an FIR in the matter. The Governor enjoys immunity from any criminal proceedings while in office under Article 361 of the Constitution of India.
The unprecedented development has set off a fresh round of political face-offs between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the midst of a highly charged seven-phase elections. Several Trinamool leaders took to social media to highlight the development.
“Molestation charges against Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose puts the prestige of the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata at stake. PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata today and stay overnight at the Raj Bhavan. Will Modi ask CV Ananda Bose for an explanation?” Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose said in a post on X.
Governor CV Ananda Bose, has, however, denied the allegations and said that the “truth would triumph” and he would not be “cowed down by engineered narratives”.
“If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal.” he said.
The development coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to West Bengal. The PM arrived at the Raj Bhawan on Thursday where he will stay overnight as he is scheduled to address three election rallies in Krishnanagar, Bolpur and Birbhum Lok Sabha Constituencies on Friday.
The woman complainant has referred to two meetings in her complaint, one on April 24 and another on Thursday.
The woman works on a contract at Raj Bhawan and lives in the staff quarters, filed a police complaint stating that on April 19, 2024, the Governor asked her to meet him with her CV.
“On 24.04.2024, at around 12.45 pm, he called me to his office room and, after some discussion, touched me. I somehow managed to leave the office room. He called me once again today, 02.05.2024. I took my supervisor along with me to the conference room because I was scared. After talking for a while about work, he asked the supervisor to leave. He prolonged the conversation by talking about my promotion. He said he will call me at night and asked me not to tell anyone. When I refused, he tried to touch me. I protested and left,” her complaint said.
Chandrima Bhattacharya, the state’s Finance Minister, expressed concern over the timing of the allegation. “What is this? The PM will come tonight and stay in Raj Bhawan. At this time, there is an allegation against the Governor for atrocities against a woman… It is a shame.” she said.
Raj Bhawan issued a statement on Thursday night, banning the entry of Chandrima Bhattacharya, the minister, into the premises of Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, Darjeeling, and Barrackpore, citing defamation and anti-constitutional media statements against the Governor. The Governor also stated he wouldn’t participate in any event attended by the Minister. The Attorney General of India was consulted for further legal steps against the Minister. Additionally, police were barred from entering Raj Bhavan under the pretext of conducting unauthorized investigations during elections.
Shashi Panja, the Women and Child Development Minister of West Bengal, criticized the Governor, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to react to the issue during his rallies in Bengal. The Governor’s actions were deemed shameful, especially considering his prior outreach regarding women’s rights.
The Governor and the state government have been at odds over various issues, including the establishment of a “peace room” at Raj Bhawan for reporting violence and intimidation, and the TMC’s complaint to the Election Commission regarding a proposed visit by Bose to Cooch Behar.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari speculated that the TMC might be behind the accusations due to being politically cornered over a teachers’ recruitment scam, questioning the veracity of the claims.