Countering West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claims that West Bengal governor is holding several files including the appointment of West Bengal Human Right Commission (WBHRC), Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar claimed on Sunday that files are not pending- before him. WB Guv awaits response from the state government on the issue for long, he claimed.

“The democracy survives human rights. The importance of the State Human Rights Commission is immense. The working of WHRC is in a worrisome state. The comment by the former WBHRC chairman that the Commission is in ICU and on ventilator gives an indication about the working of the WBHRC,” Dhankhar said.

“I call upon the government to take steps for the appointment of a regular chairman instead of an acting chairman which was suggested by the government. On 28 Dec, 2021 I got recommendations from the government that it seeks to appoint Former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya as Chairman and Justice Shivkant as the member of WBHRC. Justice Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya is presently a member of Pegasus Enquiry Commission,” Dhankhar claimed.

“I examined the recommendations carefully, I found that the procedure was heavily flawed. It could not be sanctified in law. Within a week, I sent to the government on January 2, 2022, on issues they were required to respond to. It has been more than a month and the response is still awaited. The file in this respect to the appointment of Chairman and member of WBHRC is not pending at Raj Bhawan,” the Governor clarified.

Amid tussle between the governor and Trinamool Congress-led state government, Banerjee had recently remarked that the files related to the appointment of the WBHRC Chairman and Lokyukta are pending before the governor.