The West Bengal government on Wednesday announced that ‘Nabanna’, the Secretariat, will be closed for sanitisation on Thursday and Friday. The announcement assumes significance as the BJP has announced a “March to Nabanna” on Thursday.
“As per a decision taken long back and as per standard practices, I am directed to convey that Nabanna and Writers’ Building will be closed for deep cleaning and sanitisation on Thursday and Friday,” a notification said, adding, “All officers and employees are requested to stay away from these premises, keeping in mind health & safety protocols, on these two days.”
The BJP had planned four massive rallies to the Secretariat located on the other bank of the Hooghly river in the Howrah town. The leadership took note of the development. Its national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared the two-day holiday during its “March to Nabanna”.
“In the near future people of the State are going to send Didi [Mamata Banerjee] on a leave,” Mr. Vijayvargiya said. The BJP called the march to highlight “deteriorating law and order”.
The spat between Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and the Home department continued for the second consecutive day. In a detailed statement shared on social media, the department said, “No government functionary should authoritatively and publicly quote any crime data unless those are verified by the National Crime Records Bureau.” The Governor had on Tuesday quoted figures of rape and kidnappings recorded in August 2020. The Home department had called it misleading.
Mr. Dhankhar responded by saying the department was trying a “cover up”.
“Oh My God. They surely know what they are engaged in! What a cover up! So Divisional Commissioners under their signatures with signed inputs from respective district Magistrates and sent to the constitutional head were not ‘authentic’. Am flabbergasted. No sane takers for this,” the Governor tweeted. He also wrote to the Chief Minister saying he received the data from the Divisional Commissioners.
