As West Bengal descends deeper into a state of communal terror and administrative paralysis, Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose has fired a critical warning shot. In a confidential communication to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Bose has urged the Union to consider “constitutional options” to stem the uncontrolled spiral of violence, protect citizens, and restore faith in the rule of law.
This is a constitutional SOS from the only functional arm of the State still showing signs of life.
On the night of April 10, 2025, the towns of Dhulian, Samserganj, Raghunathganj, and Farakka turned into theatres of calculated violence. As mobs chanted slogans, homes of poor Hindu families most of them small traders, artisans, or shopkeepers — were firebombed, looted, and razed to the ground.
In Samserganj alone, over 136 houses were torched, mandirs desecrated, and families pushed into the jungle to survive. All this under the watch of a state police force that has largely been reduced to a political tool.
It was against this backdrop of systematic persecution that Governor CV Ananda Bose took a constitutional stand. According to sources in Raj Bhavan, the Governor had direct access to field reports, victim testimonies, and security briefings — all pointing to one stark truth: the Mamata Banerjee led state government had failed its people.
In his strongly worded report to the Union, Bose has invoked his constitutional oath under Articles 159 and 355, warning of:
- Total administrative breakdown in border districts;
- Communal targeting and selective inaction by local police;
- Refusal of the Mamata Banerjee-led administration to acknowledge ground realities;
- A growing “nexus between radical Islamist elements and local TMC leaders” in some areas;
- Use of fake news and religious radicalisation to inflame passions and engineer unrest.
“If this situation continues unchecked, we may be heading toward a scenario similar to Kashmir in the early 90s — a slow ethnic cleansing of vulnerable minorities,” says a senior officer attached to the Raj Bhavan security cell.
Governor Bose has called upon the Union to examine constitutional remedies, a term loaded with legal weight. The only constitutional “remedy” available under such a dire context is Article 356 of the Indian Constitution imposition of President’s Rule in a state where “the government cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.”
Legal experts believe Bose is building a textbook case for central intervention:
- Breakdown of law and order;
- Collapse of police neutrality;
- Endangerment of fundamental rights (Articles 14, 19, 21);
- And sustained failure of state machinery to act impartially.
“It’s not just a law-and-order issue anymore. It’s about systemic, ideological complicity. When violence becomes a political tool, the constitutional framework must intervene,” said former High Court judge Justice Ashim Ghosh.
Instead of visiting riot victims or taking corrective steps, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a verbal assault on the Governor, accusing him of working on “BJP instructions.” But facts speak louder than political rhetoric. Not a single senior TMC leader visited Murshidabad post-violence. No FIRs were filed against known radical instigators. Meanwhile, local police were instructed to focus on “containing communal rumours” rather than arresting arsonists.
Insiders in Nabanna confirm that law enforcement was warned against taking action that could “anger the minority vote bank.” A leaked audio recording from the Samserganj police WhatsApp group reveals one senior officer advising juniors to “let things cool down before picking up anyone.”
In relief camps set up by Hindu social organisations near Berhampore, survivors tell their own stories:
“They came at night, shouting ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’ and set our house on fire. My daughter and I hid in the bathroom,” says Rekha Das, 39, a widow whose husband ran a small grocery. “We were told by local leaders that Hindus will be thrown out if we don’t convert or sell our land,” says Gautam Pal, a victim from Farakka.
Several women have alleged sexual threats, though most fear reprisal if they speak out openly. Murshidabad has been on the radar of central agencies for over a decade now. Reports from Intelligence Bureau and BSF point to:
- Unabated illegal migration from Bangladesh;
- Linkages with Jamaat-e-Islami and other radical outfits;
- Use of Waqf properties for unauthorised construction and radicalisation;
- Presence of Jihadi sleeper cells and hawala networks.
- Despite repeated alerts, the state government has done little to nothing.
This isn’t Governor Bose’s first stand. He’s already taken on:
- Ideological capture of public universities;
- Political appointments in higher education;
Use of state organs for religious appeasement under the garb of “secularism.” He’s also spoken out against illegal encroachments on forest and mandir lands, hinting at how Waqf control is used to politically and economically marginalise Hindus in rural Bengal.
