Mamata, Dhankhar maintain distance at R-Day function

Kolkata, Jan 26 That the incident at the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday where West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar sharply criticised Speaker Biman Banerjee and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has had its effect on the relationship between the constitutional head and administrative head of the state became evident on Wednesday when the two maintained a formal distance at the Republic Day parade here.

Maintaining the protocol, Mamata Banerjee arrived at Red Road at 10.30 a.m., a few minutes before the arrival of the Governor. Following the decorum, the Chief Minister greeted the Governor on his arrival before the 30-minute programme commenced, shortened due to the prevailing Covid situation in the state.

Flanked by Speaker Biman Banerjee, the Chief Minister watched the tableau on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose that was earlier rejected by the Centre along with the contingents of the Indian Army and Indian Navy, but she was hardly seen interacting with Dhankhar who sat a few yards away from her.

It was evident from the stony silence between the two state heads that Dhankhar's remarks on Tuesday didn't go down well with the Trinamool Congress supremo.

Political observers feel that this distance was inevitable in the wake of the continuing tussle between the state government and the Governor.

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