West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee knows a trick, like any other ultra-populist leader. Whenever she finds any challenge to her authority, she rushes to the people's court to take a refuge. Her latest conflict with Bengal Governor KN Tripathi over the communal violence in North 24 Parganas district is another example of her style of finding an exit route.
Before everything, the chief minister cannot speak the way she did against Tripathi. The use of words like "talked big", "threatened me", "spoke like a BJP block president", "I am not here because of him" are too unparliamentary to be used against a constitutional head like the governor.
Also read: How Mamata govt is making it easy for BJP to rise in Bengal: A report from Birbhum district
Secondly, the chief minister did a bad job in discussing whatever had transpired between her and the governor, in the open. We do not know what exactly had been discussed but even if there was no agreement of opinions, it doesn't make the CM's reaction a justified one. There are several instances of chief minister-governor clashes in states but whatever came out in Bengal is unprecedented. It was a humiliation for not Banerjee but for the model of parliamentary democracy which is in use in this country for 70 years.
The Mamata-Tripathi confrontation was destined to happen
The clash between Banerjee and Tripathi was, however, was destined to happen someday. The former, during her reaction over the ugly spat, mentioned about majoritarian groups accusing them of disrupting peace and harmony. She even took at an indirect dig at the ruling BJP and also Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing them of dividing the country. He saw the governor as a representative of the saffron camp as well.
Now, the counter question to Banerjee is: How does she not expect a backlash after engaging in unabashed appeasement of the minority community in her state? In the latest incident of violence which originated over a (religiously) objectionable Facebook post in Baduria in Basirhat sub-division of the state, it was reported that people of a minority community went up in arms after the objectionable post was made by a youth named Sourav Sarkar.
If the governor had sought an explanation from the chief minister over controlling the communal flare, what wrong did he do? By taking a question related to administration as a personal humiliation, Banerjee actually played the victim card to strengthen her vote-banks. This is a dangerous game.
Communal clashes are not new in Bengal in Banerjee's times. But most of them remain unreported or under-reported for the state's regional media has a strange allergy towards covering them in details. But the Baduria incident came out in the open because for one, it is located very close to Kolkata and secondly, the governor himself sought an explanation. Understanding that her administration was in for trouble over the issue, Banerjee decided to make the governor's tough stance her exit route by throwing tantrums saying she was humiliated like never before.
Banerjee is "ready to leave the chair" because she knows she won't lose it
Banerjee said she has no love for the chair she sits on and if the people want, she will leave it without a second thought. Now, this is a very common ploy that our politicians undertake. We also see lesser Congress leaders 'take the moral responsibility' whenever they lose an election and offer to quit. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief knows Bengal has no other alternative to lead it and there is no possibility ever of her losing power, at least in the near future. Hence, the drama.
Banerjee has a mass following no doubt but as the chief minister of the state, she has earned a bad name of an appeaser of minority sentiments. She has continued with the Left's policy to ensure the vote-banks and this sinister ploy has gradually taken Bengal to the top of a tinderbox.
The situation has been made worse by the BJP's rise as a challenger for it has made communal polarisation take its ugliest form with the two main forces taking stances that are completely incompatible.
We will not be surprised if Banerjee continues with her tirade against all saffron in the days to come to make the political contest even fierce. She knows how to melt the voters' hearts. She had done the same after her party was rocked by charges of corruption ahead of the last Assembly election. Connecting emotionally with people is her last resort and she does it wonderfully well.
