Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy defends recommending former BJP colleague for government job
He said his letter to the chief minister was a ‘normal recommendation for a perfectly bona fide purpose’.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday urged the Centre to sack Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy, who admitted to having recommended a former colleague for an advisory role in the state government. Roy said the former colleague worked with him in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s West Bengal unit in 1990.
Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of CPI(M), has accused Roy of “blatant cronyism, corruption and political partisanship”.
Not that he has had any respect for the constitutional appointment of a Governor, but this is blatant cronyism, corruption and political partisanship from the Tripura Governor. Central govt ought to sack him for this, but hell-bent on destroying all institutions, it won't. https://t.co/HQPYnHBDuW
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) April 28, 2018
News website NewsCentral24x7 reported on Saturday that Roy had sent the bio-data of a man named Sarvadaman Ray to Chief Minister Biplab Deb on March 14. In his letter, Roy described the man as a “qualified chartered accountant” who was “interested to serve [the] government” in its outreach to entrepreneurs and examining accounts.
After the news report, the governor responded on Twitter, first calling it “yellow journalism” and “too funny for words”, but within minutes, tweeting, “Of course I wrote that letter!”
@nc24x7 (ever heard of them?) says I asked the CM for a ‘Govt job for a BJP chap’ without even checking with me. We have had asinine yellow journalism before,but this is getting too funny for words! I appeal to this whatever not to thrust their feet deeper into their mouths https://t.co/fqW7Ht6PTj
— Tathagata Roy (@tathagata2) April 28, 2018
Of course I wrote that letter! It isn’t even confidential because it is a normal recommendation for a perfectly bona fide purpose. But,as I said,if you are feeling the way Columbus felt on discovering America,go ahead and make bigger fools of yourselves
— Tathagata Roy (@tathagata2) April 28, 2018
Roy said the letter was “not even confidential because it is a normal recommendation for a perfectly bona fide purpose”. He said the letter was a “perfectly normal and legitimate move”.
“I am recommending a person in an advisory capacity who has the qualifications,” he told The Indian Express. “What is remotely improper about it? Shall I recommend an unknown person?”
The CPI(M) called the letter “unprecedented”. “Nothing like this has happened before in the state,” the party’s state unit secretary Bijan Dhar told Hindustan Times.
I recommended to the CM of Tripura an old party,colleague and a Chartered Accountant for appointment in an advisory capacity. A perfectly normal and legitimate move. Now a Comrade has discovered the letter and is jumping around with the glee of Columbus discovering America. LOL!
— Tathagata Roy (@tathagata2) April 28, 2018