Following Mamata's threat, Bengal governor invites her to hold protest inside Raj Bhavan

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday invited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to hold protests inside the Raj Bhavan as his “honoured guest”.

“I will request my esteemed constitutional colleague, the honourable CM, to come inside the Raj Bhavan and hold protests if she wants. Why should she be standing outside,” he asked while speaking to reporters.

The “offer” came days after Banerjee threatened to stage a sit-in outside the Raj Bhavan to protest against the governor’s decision to hold back bills passed by the West Bengal assembly.

At a Teacher’s Day event on Tuesday, Banerjee said: “If federalism is interfered with by taking away rights (of the state governments), I will be forced to sit on a dharna outside the Raj Bhavan. We will not allow injustice. Bengal knows how to fight back. Wait and watch.”

The governor, as the chancellor of state-run universities, recently appointed interim vice-chancellors for eight varsities, including the prestigious Presidency University, MAKAUT and the University of Burdwan. The chief minister strongly condemned this as an attempt to interfere with the running of state-administered universities.

Informed sources said the interim vice-chancellors of eight other universities have also been finalised and their appointment letters will be issued soon.

Noting that the vice-chancellors should be picked from the names suggested by a five-member search committee, Banerjee said: “The governor is appointing persons at his will with no regard to the suggestions.”

(With agency inputs)