Kolkata: In a surprise move, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Counsel, who was fighting a defamation case against her and her government by Governor C.V. Ananda Bose in Calcutta High Court, has been changed.
The Chief Minister’s existing counsel Sanjay Basu has been replaced by four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member and senior advocate of Calcutta High Court Kalyan Banerjee.
The matter of change of counsel has been intimated to the Division Bench headed by Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnananm by the renowned law firm Fox & Mandal.
The law firm has also requested the Bench of the Chief Justice not to take any decision in the case without prior intimation to them.
Last year, there was a controversy over the oath-taking ceremony of two newly elected Trinamool Congress legislators, namely Sayantika Banerjee from the Baranagar constituency in North 24 Parganas district and Reyat Houssen Sarkar from the hagabangola constituency in the Murshidabad district.
Governor Bose insisted that the two newly elected legislators come to the Raj Bhawan to be administered the oath by him.
However, Banerjee and Sarkar insisted that the Governor come to the West Bengal Assembly to administer the oath ceremony there.
As the issue snowballed, several Trinamool Congress leaders including the Chief Minister, made some comments criticising the Governor in the matter. This also included the two newly elected legislators and the ruling party’s state general secretary, Kunal Ghosh.
Thereafter, the Governor filed a defamation suit at the Calcutta High Court against these four persons. In the defamation suit, the Chief Minister’s name was first in the list of those against whom it was filed.
Till now, Sanjay Basu, who has his own law firm also, was the Chief Minister’s counsel in the defamation case. But henceforth, Kalyan Banerjee will appear for the Chief Minister in the case.
IANS