CRPF dog squad inspects West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose’s house after Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee accused him of sheltering BJP criminals in Raj Bhavan, in Kolkata on November 17, 2025
| Photo Credit: ANI

A bomb disposal squad and personnel from other security agencies searched the premises of Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, West Bengal, on Monday (November 17, 2025) following Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Kalyan Banerjee’s allegation that Governor C.V. Ananda Bose was “entertaining BJP criminals in Raj Bhavan and giving them arms and ammunition to go and attack Trinamool workers”.

The development indicates that Governor Bose is not letting the row of the MP’s remarks dissipate easily.

Mr. Bose himself participated in the combing exercise, and employees of Raj Bhavan were evacuated during the process, a communication from Raj Bhavan stated. “Cutting short his outstation tour, HG (Honourable Governor) is returning to Raj Bhavan, Kolkata, today. On instructions of HG, a Joint Combing Operation will be carried out for the entire Raj Bhavan building and its precincts. The Joint Combing Operation will be led by HG himself,” a press statement from Raj Bhavan said.

It added that people in the Raj Bhavan premises were evacuated at 02.30 p.m. for the combing operation, and personnel from the Kolkata Police’s Raj Bhavan police outpost, Central Reserve Police Force, bomb disposal squad, dog squad, and members of disaster management and civil defence participated in the exercise. The exercise was live streamed on social media platforms and several television channels.

Governor on the offensive

Mr. Banerjee made the unprecedented attack on the Governor on Saturday (November 15, 2025), and the next day the Governor invited the MP as well as members of the civil society to visit the Raj Bhavan and inspect to see if there were weapons inside the premises.

In a press note on Sunday, Raj Bhavan said Mr. Banerjee’s remarks, made against a constitutional functionary and executive head of the State of West Bengal, constituted a criminal offence and the Governor was taking strong legal actions against the MP.

Mr. Banerjee, a four-term Trinamool Congress MP, was unfazed and said he would lodge a complaint against the Governor. He said the law providing criminal immunity to the Governor should be re-examined.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari urged the Governor not to take Mr. Banerjee’s remarks seriously.

“The Governor is considering that he ( Kalyan Banerjee) is a four-time MP and Trinamool leader. The Governor is a highly educated person; he has the right to do what he wants to do… But everyone in the State knows that he (Kalyan Banerjee) should not be taken seriously,” said Mr. Adhikari.

The Trinamool Congress has not reacted over the remarks made by the party MP.

Published – November 17, 2025 11:33 am IST