Trinamool Congress (TMC) members of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad waved black flags and shouted slogans at West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose when he visited the North Bengal University (NBU) in Siliguri. The Governor had been meeting with the Vice-Chancellor of NBU for almost an hour. After the meeting, he announced that the State Election Commissioner would decide the number of phases for the upcoming Panchayat election. TMC handed out criticism towards Bose, with Kumar Ghosh labelling him as acting like a BJP agent. Ghosh warned that if the governor continues to act like a BJP agent, he will face more such protests. In response, the state BJP spokesperson, Rahul Sinha, criticized the TMC for the act, stating that it will damage the reputation of the state.
Furthermore, the Governor also spoke about holding a meeting with vice-chancellors of state universities on the 28th of June. The details of the meeting are yet to be released. Meanwhile, according to Ghosh, the 2024 Lok Sabha poll process began, and the next meeting will be held in Shimla, with the confidence that the opposition will come to power.
The black flag protest received a lot of backlash online. Critics felt it was disrespectful of the TMC to treat the Governor in such a manner. Some also pointed out that the Governor’s announcement regarding the Panchayat election was expected and ordinary.
Many are looking forward to hearing the details of the meeting between the Governor and the vice-chancellors. As for the upcoming Panchayat elections, it remains to be seen how the TMC will react to the election commissioner’s decision on the number of phases.
The incident once again raises concerns over the worsening political climate in West Bengal. The state’s political division has contributed to a lack of cooperation between the Centre and the state government. Many are hoping for a resolution to the tension, eventually leading to a more stable political environment in the future.
