WB Guv writes to Mamata Banerjee over govt's stance on NPR

Dhankar, in a letter to the chief minister Mamata Banerjee, said: "Where it is indicated that all the activities regarding the preparation/ updation of NPR are being stayed in West Bengal and that no activity regarding NPR may be taken without prior clearance from the government of West Bengal."

The state government on Monday stayed all activities relating to the preparation and updation of the NPR as the TMC supremo began street rally from that day against Citizen ( Amendment) Act and NRC.

"It is surprising that this decision was not communicated to me and it had come to my notice from what is being circulated in the public domain," the governor wrote in the letter.

"In view of the serious policy issue involved, I hereby require you to submit this matter for the consideration of the Council of Ministers in term os the Rule 30(b) of the rules of Business, West Bengal, that have been formulated under article 166/3 of the Constitution of India," he stated.

The objective of the NPR is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. The database would contain demographic as well as biometric particulars.

Earlier in the day, the governor in a series of tweets said that he was pained with the chief minister's statement "let there be national organisation like United Nations or national human rights commission to hold a referendum if people vote for or against the CAA".

"Her stance is an outrage of essence and letter of our Constitution and no nation loving person can appreciate or countenance it. I am sure she would forthwith revisit her stance," he wrote on his Twitter handle, referring to Banerjee's statement in a rally at Esplanade on Thursday.

"In the name of our Founding Fathers, I fervently appeal to her to act as per her oath and regretfully withdraw her statement. As a senior leader and constitutional functionary she cannot be oblivious to the potentially dangerous consequences of such approach," he added.

"I am saddened that CM Mamata Banerjee has taken to totally unacceptable unconstitutional route by her public stance of seeking outside intervention in our internal matters and ignored my appeal. This has immeasurably caused damage to our democratic fabric," he further wrote.