Mamata's outburst to cover up monumental failures in tackling covid: Dhankar

Kolkata: The confrontation between the West Bengal government and the Raj Bhavan escalated further on Friday with Governor Jagdeep Dhankar accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "explicitly appeasing" the minority community.

Referring to Banerjee's Thursday letter to him where she accused him of "repeatedly interfering" in the functioning of her government, Dhankar said the chief minister's outburst is an alibi strategy to cover up "monumental failures" in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Urging the TMC supremo "to shun politics and confrontational approach", Dhankar said her conduct is only compounding the miseries of the people of the state.

"Your communication is part of the alibi strategy that emanates from a script that seeks to cover up monumental failures in these challenging times by a series of blunders," the governor said in his second letter to Banerjee after her Thursday letter set off acrimonious exchanges between the two constitutional functionaries.

"Your appeasement of the minority community was so explicit and awkward on the Nizamuddin Markaz incident. This is most unfortunate and cannot be appreciated," he said, referring to an event where Banerjee was asked to comment on the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in the national capital.