Governor organises West Bengal foundation day event despite objections from Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday organised the state’s ‘Foundation Day’ programme at Raj Bhavan here, despite objections raised by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

At the programme, Bose spoke on ‘zero tolerance’ for violence and emphasised the right of the common people to vote freely.

“I’m dedicated to the well-being and welfare of the people. Bengal has immense potential and is loaded with talents," the governor said.

No representative of the state government was present at the event where a cultural programme was also held.

President Draupadi Murmu also on Monday congratulated the people of West Bengal on its foundation day.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a letter to Bose on Monday night expressed “shock” at his “unilateral” decision to commemorate the state’s foundation day asserting that it “was not founded on any particular day, least of all on any 20th of June.” The partition involved uprooting of millions of people across the border and death and displacement of innumerable families, she said in the letter.

On June 20, 1947, two meetings of separate sets of legislators in the Bengal Assembly were held. One of those who wanted West Bengal as part of India, voted in favour of the resolution by a majority. The other was of legislators of areas which eventually became East Pakistan.