The Hindu : Front Page : Lok Sabha to discuss Governors issue today

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Monday, Jul 12, 2004

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Front Page

Lok Sabha to discuss Governors issue today

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, JULY 11. The dismissal and replacement of four Governors appointed during the Vajpayee Government's tenure will come up for discussion in the Lok Sabha tomorrow.

The Leader of the Opposition, L.K. Advani, has given notice for a short duration discussion and the Business Advisory Committee of the Lok Sabha has agreed to take up the matter tomorrow.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, V.K. Malhotra, has said that the party would also insist on a similar discussion in the Rajya Sabha later.

The discussion will take place even as a petition filed on the issue by a BJP member, B.P. Singhal, is to come up before the Supreme Court later this week.

The BJP has described the United Progressive Alliance Government's sacking of the Governors in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Goa as "unconstitutional and unwarranted."

The Opposition has claimed — and it has been rejected by the Congress as false — that the Vajpayee Government did not disturb those in gubernatorial positions when it had assumed office.

The Congress has pointed out that within a month of assuming office in 1998, several Governors appointed by the previous Government were given the marching orders.

This was also done in 1977 when a record number of Governors were dismissed simultaneously by the Janata Party Government in which the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Mr. Advani were senior Cabinet Ministers.

The two main parties — the Congress and the BJP — have been engaged in a war of words on the issue and the familiar charges are expected to be traded again in Parliament tomorrow. The latest political crisis in Arunachal Pradesh has added yet another dimension to the controversy in the sense that the Congress MLAs in the State have questioned the decision, or rather a series of decisions, taken by the Governor, V.C. Pande, through three letters to the President sent in quick succession, the last one withdrawing his earlier recommendation that President's rule be imposed on the State.

`Arunachal Pradesh

issue may figure'

The Arunachal Pradesh crisis is also expected to figure in the discussion tomorrow, some MPs said.

The BJP view is that a Governor enjoys a "fixed tenure" of five years and unless there is a specific charge of misconduct against him the President cannot "withdraw his pleasure" and sack him.

`BJP tried to set new norm'

Senior BJP leaders have also said that the Vajpayee Government had tried to put a new norm in place and create a new precedent by not touching the Governors appointed by the previous regime, except in those cases where new appointments were made after the notification of elections.

On the other hand, the Congress has been arguing that Governors have never enjoyed immunity against dismissal, the President can at any time "withdraw his pleasure" from his appointment, and the ruling party has the right to appoint Governors of its choice who will not take directions from "outside."

The Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, has already hinted that the Government could not wait and watch as Governors were being openly told by the Opposition not to submit their resignations and thus defy the Centre.

Congressmen have pointed out that in the past, whenever a new Government has conveyed to the Governors that they should send in their resignation letters, they have done so.

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