The Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday granted Z-category security cover to West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar across India, ANI reported. This entitles him to protection by the Central Reserve Police Force.

The decision was taken after intelligence agencies carried out a threat perception assessment. It came a month after the governor went to Jadavpur University to escort out Union minister Babul Supriyo, who was allegedly heckled by protesting students. The incident on September 19 led to widespread criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Dhankar has criticised the law-and-order situation in the state, and lashed out at the government last week after the triple murder in Murshidabad.

State Bharatiya Janata Party President Dilip Ghosh welcomed Centre’s move, PTI reported. “The entire country knows the violence and killings that are going on in Bengal,” Ghosh added. “We have seen how the police remained a mute spectator when the governor and the Union minister were heckled inside JU campus. Had any untoward incident happened, who would have taken the responsibility?”

However, the Trinamool Congress said there was no need to take such an unprecedented decision. “The state government has provided security to the governor,” an unidentified Trinamool leader told PTI. “Previously too there have been governors in the State, but none of them has ever either complained about security or have been given Central security cover.” He accused the BJP of trying to “demean” West Bengal to serve its own interests.

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