Alleging that the West Bengal government headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has failed to carry out its basic duties to protect the lives and properties of citizens, Governor C V Ananda Bose on Wednesday said that his office is already intervening in the RG Kar impasse under provisions in the Constitution.

Expressing disgust over the ongoing impasse following the rape-murder incident, Bose said that the arrest of a police officer and a senior doctor in the case again pointed to "institutional criminality", rampant in various sectors.

"It is the duty of the state government, particularly of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to protect the lives and properties of the citizens.

"Here (in West Bengal), the government has failed to carry out its basic duties. Who should own up? If the chief minister is the chief (head of the administration), the answer lies in itself," Bose told PTI in an exclusive interview on the ongoing stalemate in the state.

On whether his office would intervene in the matter, Bose said, "Raj Bhavan is intervening and cannot be stopped from doing it because the Raj Bhavan intervenes under the provisions mandated in the Constitution of India."

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