In an unprecedented move, Raj Bhavan went powerless on Wednesday in two spells, for an hour each.
The electricity was switched off in the entire Raj Bhavan complex once in the afternoon between 1.30 and 2.30 pm, and once again in the evening, from 6 to 7 pm. By observing voluntary powercuts at Raj Bhavan, the governor sought to stand by the side of Kolkata people and the state who have to bear the ordeal of periodic loadshedding.
But an embarrassed CPI(M) was not amused by his new act of “Gandhigiri”. Reacting to this, senior CPI(M) leader and state Citu president Mr Shyamal Chakraborty, “He should give up his palatial abode and shift to a smaller flat, and he should also travel by buses to share the daily grind of the common man,” he added.
But it was CPI(M) state secretary Mr Biman Bose who not only attributed a motive to Mr Gandhi’s decision but also questioned the need for the office of governor. “The time has come to think whether there is any relevance and need for governors even 60 years after Independence,” he said.
Describing the post as a “white elephant”, Mr Bose said that this “British legacy” should be removed from all states of India.