Calcutta:
Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has denied the allegations of sexual harassment by a Raj Bhavan employee, calling it a “constructed story”. “If anyone wants some election benefits by slandering me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal,” he said.
The Raj Bhavan, in a series of messages on CV Ananda Bose, against whom some derogatory stories were spread by two disgruntled employees as agents of political parties, the Honorable Governor said”.
“The truth will prevail. I refuse to be deterred by manipulated narratives. If anyone wants electoral benefits by defaming me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal.”
— Raj Bhavan Kolkata (@BengalGovernor) May 2, 2024
The allegations surfaced ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prime Minister Modi is expected to reach Kolkata this evening and will stay at the Raj Bhavan.
Police sources said this afternoon that a woman claiming to be a temporary staff member attached to the Peace Chamber at the Raj Bhavan had approached the police post at the Governor's House and accused Mr Bose of abusing her.
She was taken to the local police station on Hare Street where she filed a complaint, alleging that she had been harassed several times by the governor on the pretext of a job.
The charges come as a boon for the ruling Trinamool Congress, which had complained about sexual harassment allegations against now-suspended leader Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali. The governor was among the first to speak to the women of Sandeshkhali and made harsh comments about the state government.
Senior Trinamool leader Shashi Panja said, “We are completely shocked. The same governor who reached Sandeshkhali to talk about women's rights is now involved in a rather shameful incident. He has sabotaged the reputation of his post and its chairman.”
“Nothing can be more shameful than a governor getting involved in such heinous crimes and that too at the Raj Bhawan… Today the Prime Minister is coming to the state and he will be staying at the Raj Bhawan. We want to know his reaction to the matter,” she added.
Journalist and politician Sagarika Ghosh called the case “shocking and gruesome”.
BIG. Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose accused of abusing a woman. How terrible and terrible. Come on @narendramodi Visiting Kolkata, who was supposed to spend the night at Raj Bhavan, a woman has alleged that she was molested while she went to meet the Governor of Raj…
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 2, 2024
The issue comes amid a huge row over sexual assault allegations against a Karnataka MP, over which the BJP is drawing criticism from the opposition.
Prajwal Revanna, a leader of BJP ally Janata Dal Secular and the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, has been accused of raping several women.
State BJP leaders have distanced themselves from the case and the Hasan MP, said to be currently in Germany, has been suspended by his party.