Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar questioned the state government’s unresponsive stance towards questions raised by him on various issues confronting Bengal, amid threats of seeking legal recourse if the state continues to ignore his office.

“I keep asking them questions, but I don’t get any replies. Is it wrong to ask questions?” Governor Dhankhar asked during a ceremony to commemorate Constitution Day at BR Amedkar’s statue on Tuesday morning on the Assembly premises.

The governor’s remarks were made in the presence of Speaker Biman Banerjee.

“There is no law and order in the state. It is the ruling party’s writ that runs here. It is a matter of shame for the state before the whole country. The situation here is terrible,” said Dhankhar. “Voters play the most important role in electoral democracy. In Bengal, voters have no freedom to exercise their choice.”

Dhankhar’s tenure at Raj Bhawan, which started during Mamata Banerjee’s second term in office, has been one of an unending series of salvoes fired from both sides. The governor has been shooting off letters one after the other to the state administration, including the chief minister and the chief secretary, on issues that have the potential to land the state government into a spot of trouble.

Exactly a month ago, Dhankhar had called a meeting of vice-chancellors of 11 universities across the state, for a discussion in which none of the invitees turned up.

He had also red-flagged the state’s appointment of vice-chancellors to 24 varsities without the nod from the chancellor, ie, the governor’s office.

“Twenty-four vice-chancellors were appointed without the consent of the governor. Nowhere else in the country do such appointments take place. I called the vice-chancellors for a discussion on how to improve the quality of education in the state. Instead of attending the VCs formed a union,” said Dhankhar. “I had asked the state government about the expenses incurred in running the Maa canteen. I haven’t received the account details yet.”

Soon after Mamata’s third-term, in the subsequent post-poll violence, which the chief minister has vehemently denied, the governor took exception and visited the affected areas, including Cooch Behar. Mamata, in the meanwhile, has often taken potshots at the occupant of Raj Bhawan. Her ministers, including the late Subrata Mukherjee, have spoken against Dhankhar’s “meddling” in administrative matters.

“I will only say that the governor’s speech on today’s occasion has demeaned the high office. His allegations are not correct,” said Biman Banerjee, speaker of the Bengal Assembly.