Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday stood by the side of P. Chidambaram, giving a new dimension to the war of letters that has recently erupted between the Union home minister and chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
Asked to comment on the ongoing controversy over the letters issue, Mr Mukherjee shot back that there was no controversy. “Union home minister has written a letter and the chief minister has to send its reply. Where is any room for controversy?” he asked.
He also rejected the suggestion that the Centre had acted in a partisan manner by sending missives to the state government over law and order issue which was a state subject. “It is the responsibility of a Union home minister to urge the chief minister of a state to take appropriate measures if law and order in that state deteriorates,” he explained, adding that Mr Chidambaram had merely carried out his Constitutional duty by sending the letter.
It was evident that Mr Mukherjee endorsed Mr Chidambaram’s contention that there had been a “virtual collapse of law and order” in some parts of the state. Like Mr Chidambaram, perhaps Mr Mukherjee also felt that the chief minister had not addressed the specific questions raised by the Union home minister. “It is the responsibility of the CM to send a reply,” he added. Asked to comment on Mr Chidambaram’s use of the phrase “Harmad Vahini” Mr Mukherjee evaded a reply. “Why are you asking me? Ask them who have used the word,” he said.