Outgoing Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Saturday said chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s “appeasement policy” was adversely affecting the “societal harmony” in the state.

“Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has got vision, she has the power to implement her decisions but she should exercise restraint too. She becomes sentimental on occasions, so she has to keep a control on it,” Tripathi told PTI.

“Her (Banerjee’s ) policy of appeasement has the effect of adversely affecting societal harmony... I think she should look at every citizen equally. I believe that every citizen of Bengal should be dealt with equally without discrimination,” he added.

Asked whether he saw any discrimination in West Bengal, the 85-year-old Tripathi said: “Discrimination is apparent. Her (Banerjee) statements show the discrimination”.

Trinamul Congress secretary-general and senior minister Partha Chatterjee said Tripathi’s remarks were “very strange”. “Why did he – if he had them at all – not raise these concerns during his five-year term? Why did he issue such statements on his way out? I have worked fairly closely with him. I cannot understand what led him to do this.”

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said: “Trinamul is suffering from selective amnesia. Tripathiji kept issuing statements of concern and repeatedly pointed out problem areas that needed the government’s attention, throughout his tenure. Whatever Tripathiji has said is totally correct. He has hit the nail in the head.”