Raj Bhavans have become BJP war rooms: TMC slams govt over major governor reshuffle
New Delhi (PTI): The Trinamool Congress on Friday said the governor reshuffle effected across several states reflects the Modi government's contempt for constitutional federalism and slammed it for turning Raj Bhavans into BJP war rooms.
The party was reacting to Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi being appointed as the new governor of West Bengal, replacing C V Ananda Bose, who resigned abruptly on Thursday.
The appointment was a part of a major reshuffle of gubernatorial posts effected in several states and Union territories by President Droupadi Murmu late on Thursday night.
Trinamool Congress leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said state governments should be involved in the appointment of governors.
Citing the recommendations by the Sarkaria and Punchhi Commissions, he said "state governments must be involved in the appointment of the governor with the formation of panels, recommended by Sarkaria Commission".
"Punchhi Commission on Centre-State Relations recommended that governor must be appointed after consultation with the State concerned. Who listens?" the TMC Rajya Sabha MP said on X.
TMC's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sagarika Ghose said it is "basic grammar of federalism".
"The Sarkaria and Punchhi Commissions were clear: state governments should be consulted in the appointment of governors. That's basic grammar of federalism and democracy" Ghose said on X.
"By unilaterally appointing a new governor for Bengal, the Modi government again displays its contempt for constitutional federalism. Raj Bhavans becoming BJP war rooms," she charged.
The Punchhi Commission on reforms in Centre-State relations, under former Chief Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi, in a report in 2010 recommended appointment of the governor be made by a panel, including the chief minister.
The Sarkaria Commission, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjit Singh Sarkaria, had recommended that the chief minister of the concerned state must be consulted before appointment of governor.
Political circles were abuzz with the unexpected resignation of Bose as the West Bengal governor just weeks before the Assembly polls there.
In a communique, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said that President Murmu has accepted Bose's resignation.
Talking to PTI over the phone from Delhi, Bose had said, "Yes, I have resigned. I have been the Governor of Bengal for three-and-a-half years; it's enough for me."
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that Bose may have been pressured by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to "serve certain political interests" ahead of the polls.
With Ravi moving to West Bengal, the Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said that Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will discharge the functions of the Tamil Nadu governor.
As the governor of Tamil Nadu, Ravi, a former deputy national security adviser, was frequently locked in public battles with the M K Stalin-led DMK government in the southern state over different issues.
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Bengaluru: Two booked for disabling 240 CCTV cameras at Chinnaswamy Stadium
Bengaluru (PTI): An FIR has been registered against two persons for allegedly tampering with the CCTV surveillance system at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on the day of the RCB versus GT IPL match on April 24, police said on Monday.
The accused, identified as Manjunath (37) and Abdul Kalam (19), allegedly entered the stadium without valid authorisation, reportedly by misusing a deactivated access card, and tampered with critical surveillance infrastructure, they said.
The complaint was lodged by Aditya Bhat of Staqu Technologies Pvt Ltd, which provides AI-driven surveillance support during match days, police said.
According to the FIR, more than 240 cameras went offline on the morning of the match.
The two, said to be associated with subcontractor IVS Digital Solutions, allegedly damaged Network Video Recorder (NVR) systems and optical fibre connections, disrupting surveillance coverage in key security zones, including entry gates and perimeter areas.
The accused allegedly entered the CCTV room without proper access and later moved to a junction box near the parking area, where fibre connections were damaged, the FIR stated.
The alleged sabotage affected the availability of surveillance feeds required by police personnel deployed for match security, it added.
A senior police officer said that on the morning of April 24, at around 11.30 am, the two employees, working under a sub-vendor providing digital services during match days, carried out the act.
According to him, the accused duo damaged CCTV fibre connections and a video recorder. The issue was detected and rectified within an hour.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the two employees may have had a personal grudge against the company, possibly related to pending payments, which may have led them to commit the act, he said.
“Both accused have been identified, and further action will be taken soon. All CCTVs were restored within an hour, and the disruption did not impact match proceedings,” he added.
