'It's Centre's domain': West Bengal Governor seeks report from CM Mamata on her 'shelter' comment on Bangladesh

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has sought a report from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her comment offering "shelter" to helpless people of violence-hit Bangladesh, the Raj Bhavan said on Monday. The Raj Bhavan Media Cell said it is the Centre's prerogative to handle anything that is part of external affairs. 

"The matter of accommodating people coming in from a foreign country lies in the domain of the Union Government. Public statement by a Chief Minister undertaking the responsibility to provide shelter to people who may be coming in from a foreign nation implies Constitutional transgression of a very serious nature," it said in a tweet. 

"HG (governor) has called upon the Chief Minister to furnish a comprehensive report under Article 167 of the Constitution, on what basis such a public announcement has been made disregarding Constitutional proprieties; whether any action is being taken in this direction without getting the required concurrence from the Govt of India; and what action is taken to see that the type of anticipated immigration into the country does not affect the normalcy of life in the border areas within Bengal and does not impact the demographic balance of the State," it added. 

The post on X was attributed to an officer on special duty, and ended with a "disclaimer". "Disclaimer: The contents appearing herein are for the information of the staff of Raj Bhavan and shall not be quoted as statements of Hon'ble Governor," it said.

Mamata Banerjee last week offered shelter to people in distress from Bangladesh. In an address at a public event in Kolkata, Banerjee said she would keep the doors of West Bengal open for people in distress from the neighbouring country and offer them shelter. 

In her remarks, Banerjee also referred to the UN Resolution on refugees as justification for her stand over the possible humanitarian crisis that may emerge on account of the severe law and order breakdown that has gripped Bangladesh in the past few days. "I should not be speaking on the affairs of Bangladesh since that is a sovereign nation and whatever needs to be said on the issue is a subject matter of the Centre," Banerjee said.

"But I can tell you this, if helpless people come knocking on the doors of Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter," she said at the 'Martyrs Day' rally of the Trinamool Congress.

Bangladesh had been reeling under deadly clashes with protesting students demanding the Sheikh Hasina-led government to scrap a controversial job quota system. Over 100 people were killed in the clashes that began weeks ago. The protest subsided after Bangladesh's apex court brought down the quota. 

While Mamata offered shelters, officials in the Centre said these were matters which are handled by the Centre. "A state government has no locus standi on the issue and as such their comments are totally misplaced," a source told the news agency PTI.