Mamata's decision to postpone north Bengal visit attracts opposition jibes

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government on Tuesday announced that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's scheduled two-day visit to north Bengal from September 21 stands postponed, attracting jibes from opposition parties, who have linked the decision with the arrest of North Bengal varsity Vice Chancellor Subiresh Bhattacharya in connection with the multi-crore WBSSC recruitment scam.

During her two-day visit, the Chief Minister was supposed to attend three programmes at Uttarkanya which is considered as the mini-secretariat in north Bengal, Bagdogra and Bagha Jatin Park at Siliguri. Accordingly, the district administrations were getting prepared. But then came the last moment announcement that her scheduled visit has been cancelled.

BJP legislator from Siliguri Assembly constituency in Darjeeling, Shankar Ghosh, said that the cancellation of the Chief Minister's scheduled visit is a deliberate face- saving exercise on her part after the arrest of Bhattacharya in connection with the WBSSC recruitment irregularities scam.

"Not the people from North Bengal but people from other parts of the state are raising the same question. Nothing can be more shameful than the arrest of a Vice Chancellor of a prime state university for alleged association financial scam and unfortunately the fraudsters have the backing and support of the Chief Minister of the state," he claimed.

However, Trinamool Congress's Darjeeling district president, Aloke Chakraborty said that the cancellation of the Chief Minister's visit has nothing to do with the developments on part of the central agencies. "The opposition is just trying to resort to political mud-slinging over a routine administrative announcement," he said.