'Doesn't Glorify Dignity Of Raj Bhawan': BJP's Suvendu Adhikari Gives Bengal Governor's Event A Miss

Leader of Opposition in Bengal Suvendu Adhikari skipped an event to mark Governor CV Ananda Bose's initiation into the world of Bengali literature.

Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, explained his decision to not attend Governor CV Ananda Bose's 'Hate Khori' event on Thursday, saying the state government has "cunningly orchestrated" the event in an attempt to wash the stains around the Bengal education scam and the fact that former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and other office bearers are currently in prison.

BJP Leader Swapan Dasgupta also openly questioned the Governor's priorities.

Adhikari slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stating that she has previously expressed her opinion that the post of Governor should be abolished. He said, "I can't bear witness to such an inappropriate and laughable situation which has been arranged by spending the taxpayers' money."

Adhikari said: "It seems the event has been planned an engineered by the discredited state government to act as a glossy cover on an obscene book." "... the event doesn't elevate the height of the Chair of the Honourable Governor and doesn't glorify the dignity of the Raj Bhawan," he said in a Twitter post.

The 'Hate Khori' event, a Hindu ritual celebrating the writing of the first letters of the Bengali alphabet, was scheduled to take place at the governor's official residence on January 26.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state's new Governor Bose came together on the auspicious occasion of Saraswati Puja for the Governor's 'Hatey Khori' event. The event, held at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, initiated the Governor into the world of the Bengali alphabet. The event started with a recitation of the "Saraswati Bandana" by noted vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, reported NDTV.

The Governor and the Chief Minister have a cordial relationship, a welcome change from the past when the ties between the Raj Bhavan and Mamata Banerjee had been frayed. Unlike his predecessor, Jagdeep Dhankar, who is now India's Vice-President, Governor Bose has maintained boundaries and has not waded into political issues, instead choosing a more traditional path.

However, the state BJP is not happy about the new proximity and skipped the event on Thursday. 

Bengal's Education Minister Bratya Basu has agreed to translate the Governor's writings into Bengali. Governor Bose said that he will dedicate an hour on weekdays to learning Bengali. He has also stated that "Kabuliwala" by Rabindranath Tagore is one of his favourite stories.