The Hindu : National : Dismissal of Governors vindictive: BJP chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 04, 2004

National

National

Dismissal of Governors vindictive: BJP chief

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JULY 3. "The dismissal of four Governors by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government is not only anti-democratic but also diabolical," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, said here today.

Describing the decision as "vindictive," Mr. Naidu said that it was a reversal of healthy changes introduced by the Vajpayee Government in the appointment and functioning of Governors.

Talking to newsmen, he said that the Sarkaria Commission on Centre-State relations devoted a major part of its recommendations to preventing the misuse of the office of Governor by the ruling party at the Centre. It had clearly stated that the Governor's tenure of office must be guaranteed and should not be disturbed except for extremely compelling reasons. If any action was to be taken against a Governor, he /she must be given a reasonable opportunity for showing cause against the grounds on which the removal had been sought. The Commission's recommendations were approved by the Inter-State Council in its meeting in New Delhi in 2001.

But the UPA Government had not sought any explanation from the sacked Governors, which meant that the Congress did not believe in a healthy democracy and had given a burial to the Commission's recommendations.

Not only was the sacking of four Governors wrong, but also the political rationalisation given by the Centre was "pernicious," he said. Some Congress functionaries had hinted that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh background of the Governors disqualified them from occupying the office. Was their RSS background a crime? If so, what about those who had the Congress or communist background, he asked.

Visualising a "deeper and diabolical" game plan in the Government's decision, Mr. Naidu said that the Congress seemed to be back at its "old game" of using the office of the Governor for advancing its "nefarious" strategy of toppling non-UPA Governments in States such as Goa, Gujarat, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In this connection he wanted the Communist parties and the DMK to clarify their stand over the action taken by the UPA Government.

Asked whether the BJP would legally challenge the Government's decision, Mr. Naidu said that it was for the affected Governors to take up the issue, as they were not party functionaries.

Asked whether the BJP would attend the budget session, Mr.Naidu said that constituents of the National Democratic Alliance would meet in New Delhi to take a decision. But the NDA would continue to raise the issue of "tainted" Ministers in Parliament.

Charging that the Government had a "bad beginning" with the induction of "tainted" MPs as Ministers and change of history textbooks, Mr. Naidu said the Government had removed Constitutionally set up committees. A committee set up by the previous Government to provide reservation for the economically backward students in forward communities was wound up.

Similarly, another panel which was asked to study the conditions of the nomadic tribes was disbanded.

Referring to the Centre's decision to directly fund panchayats, Mr. Naidu said that when he was the Union Minister for Rural Development he suggested that funds earmarked for the panchayats should be routed through the State Governments. If necessary a time frame could be drawn for the funds to reach the panchayats.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National