Bengal Governor’s Response to Sexual Harassment Allegation: CCTV Footage for Public, Not Police
Credit: NDTV News
09.05.2024: In response to sexual harassment allegations, Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has taken a bold step by declaring that the CCTV footage of the concerned day will be made available to the public, excluding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her police. The Raj Bhavan handle posted a statement titled “Sach ke Saamne Programme,” announcing this initiative to counter what they claim are “mischievous and fabricated allegations by the police.”
According to the statement, the Governor will allow the first 100 people who wish to see the footage access to it at the Raj Bhavan. Interested individuals can apply via mail or phone call for a chance to view the footage. This move comes after a woman, claiming to be a temporary staff member, accused Mr. Bose of molestation on May 2, prompting his office to denounce it as an “engineered narrative.”
The Raj Bhavan staff has been instructed to disregard police queries, and entry has been denied to both the police and the state finance minister regarding the CCTV footage. The statement also criticizes the ongoing police investigation as “illegal and unconstitutional,” citing Article 361 of the Constitution, which grants immunity to Governors and the President from criminal proceedings during their term in office.
This development has taken on political dimensions amid the general election, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi becoming embroiled in the controversy.