WB Bill replacing Guv as Chancellor should be sent to President: Suvendu

The West Bengal Assembly passed a bill on Monday to replace Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as chancellor of all state-run universities. The BJP said it will urge the state Governor to send the bill to the President.

West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed in the legislative assembly after 182 members voted in favour of the legislation and 40 against it in the 294-member Assembly.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, said he will meet the state Governor to request that the bill is sent to the President.

"Education comes under the concurrent list. I will meet Governor next Monday on the issue and will request to send it to Delhi (for the consideration of the President)," Adhikari told media persons here.

He has also alleged "false voting" in the assembly during the passage of the Bill.

Education Minister Bratya Basu did not comment on opposition allegations.

"About the opposition, I have nothing to say. We've brought a Bill to change our Governor from the post of chancellor only. We offered and suggested that Chief Minister will be the chancellor and the whole house accepted it. Now we're sending it to Governor," he said.

BJP leaders said the TMC-led government wants to control everything and the decision "to appoint the CM as chancellor of universities was aimed at facilitating direct interference of the ruling party in the state's education system".

Introducing the bill, Basu said there was "nothing wrong" with the Chief Minister taking over as the chancellor of state universities.

"Why can't the chief minister be the chancellor of state universities if the Prime Minister is the chancellor of a central university- Visva Bharati?" he asked.

He alleged that the Governor, who is the present chancellor, has "violated protocols on various occasions."

TMC state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar slammed the BJP leaders over their remarks on the bill. "No matter how much they try they will not be able to do anything," he said.

The West Bengal government after a cabinet meeting on Monday gave its nod to the bill to replace Governor Jagdeep Dhankar and appoint Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the Chancellor of all state-run universities.

The move is seen a fallout of the long-running battle between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and governor.