West Bengal Governor Calls Off Cooch Behar Tour Amid Political Controversy

Kolkata: Getting advice from the Election Commission a day before, West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday called off his proposed tour to Coochbehar amid the first phase of the Lok Sabha Election.

He asserted that he has no wish to get into a political controversy though none can restrict his movement. His decision came hours after Trinamul Congress lodged a complaint with the EC accusing him of making a fresh plan for the tour.

Mr Bose, who had planned to visit the North Bengal district on April 18-19, stated, “My priority is to be with the people of Bengal. My focus is to fight against violence in the State, particularly during election. My field visits are for these purposes but there is an attempt to politicise the Governor’s office. I will not let anyone to lower the dignity of the office of the Governor.”

He added, “I will not allow anyone to use me as a pawn on the political chess board. Under the Constitution no one can restrict the movement of a Governor. However, I do not want to get involved in the unsavoury political controversy around me. I am available to the people in the Peace Room over email/telephone 24x7. Because of unsavoury political implications , I am calling off my visit to North Bengal today.”