Governor C.V. Ananda Bose has sent a report to the Union home ministry following the April unrest in Murshidabad, flagging the “twin spectre(s) of radicalisation and militancy” over Bengal and saying “provisions under Article 356 of the Constitution also remain”, Nabanna sources said.
While Bose did not directly recommend the use of Article 356, which allows the imposition of President’s rule, he suggested measures such as an inquiry commission on the state’s role and legislation allowing the Centre to take over state law and order, the sources added.
Trinamool leaders said the report was unexpected and had left them aghast, but argued that the Narendra Modi government would not dare impose President’s rule for fear of turning Mamata Banerjee into a “martyr” ahead of next year’s Assembly polls.
Bose sent the report after his April 18-19 visits to Malda and Murshidabad — where three people were killed and homes and shops were torched or vandalised amid protests against the central Waqf Amendment Act — state government sources said.
The report is believed to underline the Muslim-majority populations of these two districts, calling it “an adverse demographic composition”.
It also suggests the state government had sensed that violence was brewing but did not take strong enough precautionary steps, the sources added.
While governors do regularly send reports to the Centre, Bose’s assumes significance as it mentions Article 356.
“Although the governor did not propose President’s rule in the state, he underscored that such a step could be considered if the situation deteriorated further. This is a clear warning to the state government,” a retired bureaucrat said.
He said no Bengal governor in recent memory had sent such a strong report.
Bose’s report coincides with the clamour from a state BJP lobby, spearheaded by leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, for President’s rule in Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections.
Expressing fear about a “spillover” of the Murshidabad violence to neighbouring districts, Bose has recommended that the Centre consider “constitutional options to put a check on the current situation besides generating confidence of people in the rule of law”.
“The twin spectre(s) of radicalisation and militancy pose a serious challenge for West Bengal, especially in two of the several districts sharing an international border with Bangladesh, viz, Murshidabad and Malda,” the report is understood to say.
“In both these districts, there is an adverse demographic composition with Hindus being minorities....”
The report suggests several possible measures: “Formulating an overarching legislation to empower the Union Government to maintain law and order when the state machinery fails to act effectively.
“Appointing a commission of Inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, to look into the reported acts of omission and commission as indicated above and to suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future and needless to add, the provisions under Article 356 of the Constitution also remain.”
On the state administration’s failure to prevent the violence, which peaked on April 11, the report says: “On 08.04.2025, the state government promulgated a temporary suspension order of Internet…. Thus, the state government was aware of the imminent build-up of threat to law and order in Murshidabad.
“Clearly, the sequence of events that unfolded shows the woeful lack of coordination among administration and law enforcement agencies that were either too feeble to rise up to the challenge or were reluctant to do so.”
A Trinamool minister said there was no real danger of President’s rule since that “would make her (Mamata) a martyr and ensure an even bigger sweep in her favour”.
“The likes of Suvendu may not have the necessary depth to understand how spectacularly Article 356 can backfire on the BJP in Bengal, but there isn’t a dearth of leaders in Delhi who are acutely aware of that possibility,” he said.
“Having said that, the Raj Bhavan move was in poor taste. Even (former governor) Jagdeep Dhankhar (who had a testy relationship with the state government) wasn’t up to such jiggery-pokery.”
BJP sources in Delhi too said the Centre would think twice before imposing President’s rule in Bengal, knowing it could win Mamata voter sympathy.
A BJP source said the top leadership would “take the final call only after adetailed discussion”.
Home ministry officials indicated that the Centre would study the governor’s report before taking a decision.
“The governor’s assessment of the situation in Bengal, especially in Murshidabad, is a matter of serious concern. The governor’s suggestions are being looked into,” a home ministry official said.
BJP managers feel a sharp communal polarisation among Bengal’s voters would serve the party better than President’s rule. They believe this is happening following the Murshidabad violence, with the Pahalgam terror attack further widening fault-lines.