CALCUTTA: The West Bengal Governor, Mr Dharam Vira, tonight [Nov 21] dismissed the Communist-dominated state government headed by Mr Ajoy Mukherjee.

Dr P.C. Ghosh, former Food Minister in the United Front Government, whose resignation a fortnight ago touched off a political crisis in West Bengal, was sworn in as Chief Minister.

Meanwhile section 144 Cr PC has been promulgated in Calcutta, Howrah and the suburban areas of the city. Army troops took up positions in the city to prevent any demonstration against the centre’s decision.

The Governor also summoned West Bengal Assembly on Nov 29.

Meanwhile, President Zakir Husain today took direct administrative control of Haryana state in North India and dissolved the state Assembly.

The proclamation of Presidential rule followed weeks of changing loyalties among Assembly members while the five-party coalition Gover­nment struggled to retain its majorities.

The Haryana state Governor Mr B.N. Chakravarty, in a report to the President, said fresh elections might be held after a brief spell of Presidential rule.

Mr Chakravarty said change in party loyalty in the state had made “a mockery of the constitution and have brought democracy to ridicule”.

Haryana is the first full state to be brought under President’s rule.

[Meanwhile, as reported by an agency in Washington,] the US Secretary of State Dean Rusk appealed to the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday [Nov 20] to reverse House of Representatives’ cuts in foreign aid appropriations lest the United States face “expansion of unrest and violence, of racism, of hostility” in the world’s less-developed nations.

Mr Rusk said a loss of US leadership would follow “continued deep cuts” in foreign assistance spending.

“We should not flirt with our future and the future of the free world to that extent,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017