West Bengal Governor Orders Raj Bhavan Search After TMC MP’s Serious Arms Allegation
Governor orders full Raj Bhavan search after TMC MP alleges hidden weapons.
West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose will personally oversee a search operation at Kolkata’s Raj Bhavan on Monday, following allegations by a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP that arms and ammunition were being stored inside the historic complex. The move comes two days after TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee accused the governor of “sheltering BJP criminals” and “arming them with bombs and guns.”
According to officials, the operation will be conducted jointly by personnel from the Kolkata Police and central security forces. Bomb disposal units, dog squads, and officials from the Disaster Management and Civil Defence departments will also participate. “The entire Raj Bhavan will be searched to identify whether any arms or explosives are stored within the compound. The Governor will be leading the search operation himself,” a senior official told PTI.
Governor Bose, who had been on a short tour of North Bengal, cut his trip short to return to Kolkata and spearhead the search. To ensure transparency, the Raj Bhavan premises will be evacuated in the afternoon, and members of the media and civil society will be permitted to accompany him during the search. The operation will be live-streamed, the official added, in what is seen as an unprecedented move for a constitutional office.
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The controversy began when Kalyan Banerjee made his explosive claims on Saturday, just hours after Governor Bose had remarked that a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was necessary to “clean up the election process.” The TMC MP’s allegations quickly escalated tensions between the state’s ruling party and the Raj Bhavan, already strained over recurring political flashpoints between the Governor and the Mamata Banerjee-led government.
In response, Bose said on Sunday that he had sought legal advice over the accusations and indicated that he would take appropriate action. Banerjee, however, remained defiant, saying he was “ready for a battle in court” and could not be intimidated. Monday’s search operation is likely to further intensify the political standoff in Bengal ahead of the crucial electoral season.
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