Kolkata:

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday filed a defamation case against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Calcutta High Court, a day after she said that women complained to her saying that they were afraid to visit the Raj Bhavan because of the activities there, a source said.

Mr Bose earlier in the day criticised Banerjee for her remarks and stated it was expected of public representatives not to create “erroneous and slanderous impressions”.

The Bengal governor also filed defamation suit against certain TMC leaders for making similar remarks, the source said.

During an administrative meeting in the state secretariat, Ms Banerjee on Thursday claimed that “Women have informed her they are afraid to visit Raj Bhavan due to recent incidents reported there”.

“Governor CV Ananda Bose on Friday moved the Calcutta High Court and filed a defamation suit against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party leaders for their comments,” the source told PTI.

On May 2, a contractual woman employee of Raj Bhavan had alleged molestation by Bose following which the Kolkata Police also started a probe.

When contacted, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen said that she would not be able to comment on the matter without discussing it with the party leadership.

“I have to talk to my party leadership to find out what actually happened. This is quite a sensitive matter,” Dola Sen told PTI.

Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said that Mr Bose took the right decision.

“I think Governor Bose has taken the right decision. He should have taken this decision long back. I fully support him for this,” Mr Sinha said.

Veteran CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said that the tussle between Bose and Banerjee is not helping the state.

“It’s actually taking us down. They seem to have forgotten their Constitutional responsibilities. Their acts are damaging West Bengal’s image at the national level,” Mr Chakraborty said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose issued an order on Thursday night banning the entry of the police and Minister of State for Finance, Chandrima Bhattacharya, into the Raj Bhavan.

The move came hours after a temporary female staff at the Raj Bhavan filed a written complaint with the police accusing the Governor of outraging her modesty.

“For defamation and anti-constitutional media statements against Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, a junior gubernatorial appointee Chandrima Bhattacharya, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Finance, has been banned entry into the Raj Bhavan premises in Kolkata, Darjeeling, and Barrackpore,” read a statement issued by the Governor’s office.

Ms Bhattacharya was the first to react after the allegation of molestation surfaced against the Governor.

“I wonder what is happening in the Raj Bhavan, and that too on a day when the Prime Minister is coming to the state,” Ms Bhattacharya said.

The statement issued by the Raj Bhavan also said that the Governor will not participate in any function attended by the Minister.

The Governor has also banned the entry of police into the Raj Bhavan premises.

“The Attorney General of India has been contacted for advice on further legal steps against the Minister. The Hon’ble Governor also banned the entry of police into the Raj Bhavan premises in the guise of conducting unauthorised, illegitimate, sham and motivated investigation to placate political bosses during elections,” the statement read.

In an earlier statement issued on Thursday evening, the Governor denied the molestation charge, calling it an attempt to gain electoral benefits.

“Truth shall triumph. I refuse to 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,” it read.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)