The political tug of war between the Centre and West Bengal government reached new heights. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi has insulted by telling her “lot of things”.

In a rare public spat, while addressing a press conference on Tuesday after Governor raised the issue of communal flare-up at Baduria in North 24 Parganas with her, the CM accused the Governor of “threatening and insulting” her. The pressure was so severe that at one time she had even felt like resigning, she said.

She was quoted as saying, “Today the Governor told me a lot of things. I am feeling insulted. The Governor’s is a constitutional post. I have come to power through mandate of the people. I am not in power at the mercy of the Governor.”

Banerjee did not stop here. She said, “He is speaking like a block president of the BJP…He has called and threatened me…He should understand that he is a nominated person. He should maintain his respect also.”

Later in the day, Governor Tripathi said in a press release that he was “surprised at the attitude and language used by the Chief Minister”. There was nothing in the conversation for “which the Hon’ble chief Minister may have felt insulted, threatened or humiliated”. However Raj Bhavan said it is “proper for the Hon’ble Governor to bring to the notice of the Hon’ble Chief Minister any serious event happening in the State”.