Intellectuals write to Kovind for action against Tripura Governor
Kolkata: Accusing Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy of triggering tension in the state by some of his social media posts, a group of Bengali intellectuals on Friday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind to take constitutional steps against him.
On March 6, Roy said in a tweet: "From the telephone calls I receive, it appears that a concerted and motivated campaign is afoot to spread a canard that murder and mayhem have broken out in Tripura. Nonsense! Even the uprooting of the statue has not precipitated any breach of peace."
In a letter to President, they claimed Roy's comments, particularly after the declaration of assembly elections, triggered tension.
The signatories include Bengali authors Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay, painter Shuvaprasanna, Nabanita Dev Sen, theatre personality Manoj Mitra, singer Kabir Suman, poet Joy Goswami and filmmaker Goutam Ghosh, among others.
"We are passing through a phase when passion is running high. So, any tweet should take into account the prevailing circumstances," writer Mukhopadhyay said.
A controversy erupted after a statue of Communist icon Lenin was pulled down by some people with an excavator machine in the northeastern state.
Roy had further said: "Fundamental questions coming up. We removed George V from India Gate, New Delhi, Queen Victoria from in front of her memorial in Kolkata, renamed Aurangzeb Road, all by government fiats. What if the government similarly decides to remove Lenin's statue, rename Lenin Sarani? Any answers?"
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Ready to face no-confidence motion, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Hassan (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the Congress government led by him was ready to face the no-confidence motion if moved by the opposition during the legislature session from December 8.
With Deputy CM D K Shivakumar by his side, he reiterated that they would both abide by the high command's decision on the leadership issue.
"Let them (opposition) bring in a no-confidence motion or adjournment motion or any other motion. We are ready to face it. Ours is an open book, transparent government. We are ready to face anything," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question.
However, BJP state President B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, clarified that the party, along with the JD(S) has not discussed or decided anything so far regarding moving a no-confidence motion against the government.
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The winter session of the Karnataka legislature will begin in Belagavi, bordering Maharashtra, on December 8 and will go on till 19th of this month.
Not wanting to react to a question on the leadership issue, the CM said the Congress high command is very strong.
"D K Shivakumar and I will be committed to whatever the high command decides," he said.
Earlier in the day in Bengaluru, Shivakumar accompanied AICC Mallikarjun Kharge till airport from Vidhana Soudha, after paying tributes to B R Ambedkar on his 69th death anniversary, which had led to some speculation about possible discussion between the two on the leadership issue.
The power tussle within the ruling party had intensified amid speculation about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
However, both the CM and Deputy CM had recently held breakfast meetings at each others residences, on the instructions of the high command, which is seen as a move to pause the leadership tussle between the two and to signal Siddaramaiah's continuation as the CM for the time being, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session.
