Kolkata: The ever-changing winds of political dissuasion in West Bengal are a reminder that in politics, nothing is permanent. Official endorsements can radically change, and temporary diplomatic talks can fail in a matter of days or, in the case of rebel TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari, even in a matter of mere hours.
Until now, it was the opposition which presented its grievances to the state's governor, Jagdeep Dhankar, against the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. However, on Wednesday, it was former state minister Suvendu Adhikari who appealed to the West Bengal Governor, seeking the latter's intervention against the state administration and police force pursuing acts of "political vendetta" directed against him.
Notably, TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari submitted his resignation as MLA to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. This came amidst speculations of the rebel TMC leader joining BJP on December 19th in Delhi while Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to be visiting Kolkata.
The WB Governor took to his official account on Twitter to post the letter that Adhikari had written to him.
"Suvendu Adhikari former minister @MamataOfficial has by way of representation sought my intervention so that police @WBPolice @KolkataPolice and administration are dissuaded from implicating him and associates in criminal cases out of political vendetta. Taking expected steps," Jagdeep Dhankar tweeted out.
Contents of the letter
"I am constrained to seek your intervention as constitutional head so that police and administration apparatus in the State is dissuaded from implicating me and my associate followers in criminal cases out of political motivation and vendetta," the letter reads.
Adhikari further wrote that he had "passionately" devoted himself to the service of people till the very last date of his resignation as Minister in the state government. However, he now feared that his change in political stance will trigger the "political vendetta mode" of those in power, indirectly referring to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state machinery run by her administration.
"Dictated by sense of duty and public welfare I quit the Ministry. I now gather that this change of political stance at my end is spurring those in authority to be in political vendetta mode against me. Unleashing police repression by implication in criminal cases on political considerations is certainly an alarming indicator of governance away from rule of law. Such sinister moves are antithetical to constitution. Surely 'political bonhomie' with the ruling part or dispensation cannot be essential requisite for enjoying liberty and human rights, as is the situation presently," the letter by Suvendu Adhikari read, as posted by WB Governor Jagdeep Dhankar.
The letter ends with the rebel TMC leader seeking the Governor's intervention on the aforementioned matter.
Why is Suvendu Adhikari's dissent a sign of trouble for Mamata Banerjee?
For all intents and purposes, Subhendu Adhikari still remains notable for having played a vital role in TMC's Nandigram movement in 2007 which helped the party snatch power from the Left Front.
In addition to him being one of the most popular mass leaders of TMC in the Midnapore Jangal Mahal region, it is to be noted that Subhendu is a member of the powerful Adhikari family of the East Midnapore district.
According to TMC sources, Suvendu is an immensely popular leader in East Midnapore, holding sway over 35 Assembly seats, spanning West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and parts of Birbhum.
