Felt insulted at Durga Puja event hosted by Mamata Banerjee: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar

NEW DELHI: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said that he felt "humiliated, deeply pained and disturbed" at a Durga Puja event hosted by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, where he was not allowed to sit on th stage and was not shown on TV even once.

"I felt insulted at the carnival. I am deeply hurt and disturbed. The insult was not to me but to every people of West Bengal. They will never digest such as insult. I am a servant of the people of West Bengal. Nothing can deter me from performing my constitutional duties," Governor Dhankhar said.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on reports that he was sidelined by state govt at a Durga puja event on 11 Oct:I appreciate this discourteous approach by govt for the 1st servant.I'm sure they'll do soul searching&make amends.We're part of 1 state. I'm deeply hurt&disturbed pic.twitter.com/l04r0N5s0G — ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2019

Governor Dhankar said that he was not given a seat on the main dias where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was sitting along with other dignitaries during an event which held on Friday to showcase the top 70 community puja pandals. Sources said that Governor Dhankar was made to sit in a corner and he was not able to watch the event properly.

"For four hours or more I was there and your press coverage was totally blacked out...This is unheard of. You will never find it anywhere else. Someone told me it was reminiscent of the Emergency. Not for a second was the first servant shown on TV. What happened has put me to shame because no person in Bengal will approve of it," Dhankar noted.

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Calling the whole incident a painful moment of his life, Governor Dhankar said that he decided against leaving from the venue because he wanted to recognize the talent of the people of state. "I will be there despite the insult because I have to recognize the talent of the people of West Bengal. I have to suffer for them, I will suffer. If I have to suffer more insults, more affronts...This bad taste in my mouth has been created by people who perhaps do not have the mindset and the large heart that people of West Bengal have...I appreciate this discourteous approach by the government for the first servant. I'm sure they'll do soul searching and make amends."