In a strongly worded statement on the unprecedented violence against Enforcement Directorate officers, Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose put the state administration in the dock and warned the Mamata Banerjee government of “Constitutional consequences” if it “failed to act effectively” in response to the attack carried out on the central agency, the CRPF and the media personnel in Sandeshkhali on Friday.

“It is a ghastly incident. It is alarming and deplorable. It is the duty of a civilized government to stop barbarism and vandalism in a democracy. If a government fails in its basic duty, then the Constitution of India will take its course. As a Governor I reserve all my Constitutional options at my disposal for appropriate action,” the Governor said.

Bose continued: “This pre-election violence which has had an early beginning must have an early end. And this is the beginning of the end. The sole responsibility of wanton violence lies with the government. The government should open its eyes and see the reality and act effectively or else face the consequences.”

Besides lashing out at the state administration, the Governor also summoned state chief secretary BP Gopalika, home secretary Nandini Chakraborty and DGP Rajeev Kumar to the Raj Bhavan, perceptively to explain the genesis of the trouble and the action planned against the perpetrators.

At the time of filing of this report, some eight hours after the incident, no reports of arrest in connection to the day’s incident were received.

Incidentally, Bose’s statement and decision to summon the state’s administration top brass came within hours after Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay observed in court as to why “the Governor wasn’t declaring that the Constitutional framework of the state had collapsed”.

“I would like to assure the people of Bengal that flexing muscles and parading paper tigers will not work with the people of Bengal. Jungle raj and goonda raj will only work in a fool’s paradise,” the Governor said and added: “Bengal is not a banana republic. The government should do its duties… The ostrich-like attitude of the police who pretend not to see the lawlessness around should go. The perpetrators of violence and also the political abettors will soon be able to realise that we can fool some people for all times, and all people for some times but not all people for all times. It is high time we call for a stop to violence and hooliganism in Bengal.”

Bose’s statement brought back memories of a similar fallout between the state and Raj Bhavan some 16 years ago when former Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi lambasted the erstwhile Left Front government for the sustained violence in Nandigram. Reacting to the CPI-M cadre’s operation to recapture Nandigram from the Trinamul-led land grab resisting farmers in November 2007, Gandhi had called the region a “war zone” and termed the erstwhile ruling party’s move “unlawful and unacceptable”.

“No government or society could allow a war zone to exist without immediate and effective action,” Gandhi had said.

Meanwhile, the state unit of the BJP wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah urging him to initiate a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into Friday’s incident. “Such an investigation is crucial to ensure the safety of law enforcement personnel carrying out their duties and to uphold the rule of law in our country,” party’s state president Sukanta Majumdar wrote in his letter to Shah.

Referring to Justice Gangopadhyay’s in-court observations where, Majumdar claimed, that the judge called the developments manifestations of a “Constitutional crisis warranting the Governor’s intervention and implementation of President’s Rule”, the state BJP chief further implored deployment of paramilitary forces in the affected area in Sandeshkhali to “restore order and ensure the safety of law enforcement agencies involved”. “The deployment of paramilitary forces is vital to prevent any further escalation of violence and to safeguard the integrity of investigative procedures,” Majumdar added.

In a press interaction held later in the day, state minister and Trinamul Congress spokesperson Sashi Panja questioned the Governor’s motive behind holding the state government accountable.

“The Governor has summoned the chief secretary and others, he is holding the state accountable, but the state was kept in the dark about the ED’s movements. How could the Governor call the state a ‘banana republic’? Won’t you justify such big words? Won’t you prove it? Were such things said about (the incidents at BJP-ruled) Manipur and Tripura?” asked Panja.

"We respect the Governor's chair but we cannot support his statement. How was Calcutta declared the safest city? Has there been any caste-based violence in Bengal? Shouldn't that be taken into account?" she enquired.

Calling the events at Sandeshkhali as “unfortunate”, Panja claimed that the villagers were provoked by the agency.