West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Monday dismissed speculations over his removal from the gubernatorial post, asserting that he will move forward with renewed vigour in his quest to restore the state's "lost reputation" and make it free from violence.
Mr Bose, who resumed duties at the Raj Bhavan on May 29 after spending nearly a month in hospital due to a cardiac condition, said he would soon start visiting rural regions of the state, including the violence-hit areas of Murshidabad and Malda, to bring back the feeling of bonhomie among various communities.
"Bengal has given me a new lease of life. I will start going to the villages and work to establish brotherhood and friendship among various communities, and also fight against violence ruthlessly. I have a lot of work to do," he told PTI during an interview.
Mr Bose, 74, admitted that he was a “little bothered” over such speculations doing the rounds, but "responsible quarters in Delhi" advised him to ignore them.
"Since you asked the question (about getting replaced), I can tell you that I got a call from responsible quarters in Delhi. They asked me to totally ignore such rumours and go ahead with my work. I have been asked to go full throttle in the mission that I started here.
"My mission will be to go more and more to the people of Bengal to settle their problems. My purpose is to work relentlessly to establish a Bengal that is violence-free," he asserted.
Mr Bose said he was feeling perfectly fine now, but doctors have advised him to not stress himself with work for a few days.
"Doctors have asked me to go slow, but that's only for a few days. That much pace should not be there because I used to work for 20 hours every day. Even earlier, when I didn't have such an important assignment, I worked for about 16 hours. It's not something very new to my nature," he said.
Mr Bose said the incidents of violence in Murshidabad and Malda districts in April during protests over the Waqf Amendment Act had left him deeply disturbed. At least three people died and several others were injured in the riots.
"The stories which were narrated by the women in particular were so disturbing that it will shake any civilised mind. People had to suffer in silence. The atrocities were deliberately inflicted on them. And, they had a feeling that there was no one to support us, no one even to complain to,” the governor said.
On his evaluation of the current state of affairs in West Bengal, Mr Bose said the state has fallen from its stature of intellectual dominance because of incidents of violence and corruption.
He also said that over the years, political parties have been “using violence as means for political and electoral gains”.
"Bengal is a great state with a highly civilised society. It cares for culture and its values. There is no exaggeration to say, what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow. Unfortunately, over the decades, Bengal has fallen from its stature of intellectual dominance due to violence and corruption.
“And, violence still continues. I do not see violence as something that is connected with any particular government. When elections come, parties use violence for political and electoral gains,” the governor said.
Asked about his role in next year's assembly election, Mr Bose said he would do everything to ensure free and fair polling.
"The most important highlight of our democracy is election. The governor's primary job is to defend the Constitution. My role will become more appropriate and more prominent during the polls. I will be there to see that the election is conducted in a free and fair manner, without infringing upon the rights and areas of operation of the Election Commission," he said.
When pointed out that the West Bengal government was planning to introduce a constitutional amendment pertaining to the “governor sitting over bills passed by the state legislature”, Mr Bose asserted not a single bill was pending with the Raj Bhavan other than those referred to the President.
"I don't want to comment on what the state government intends to do. I can tell you that there is not a single bill that is pending in this Raj Bhavan, barring the ones referred to the President under the Constitution,” he said.
Commenting on the ongoing agitation of teachers who lost jobs following a Supreme Court order, Mr Bose said he was hopeful that justice will be done in the matter.
"Agitations are a part of democracy. When there is a court intervention, let us all be hopeful that justice will be done. I am sure those concerned will use all avenues to see that the issue is settled properly,” the governor added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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