Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 25: The friction between the Aam Aadmi Party government headed by Bhagwant Mann in Punjab and the governor Banwarilal Purohit has come out in the open with the governor threatening to recommend to the president to dismiss the elected government and impose president’s rule in the state if the chief minister continued to “ignore” responding to the letters sent from the Raj-Bhavan.
The governor on Friday in a letter warned that he might recommend the President’s rule over Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann not responding to official communication. The letter has evoked strong reaction from the AAP which said the governor apparently was advancing the BJP agenda to destabilise the non-BJP elected governments in various states while refusing to take action against faultering BJP governments.
The Governor in his letter warned that he could recommend President’s rule in the state and also start criminal proceedings if his letters are not answered. In his letters, the Punjab Governor raised questions on drug trafficking in the border state and asked Mr Mann about action taken by his government.
The Governor in the letter said he has got reports from various agencies about availability and use of narcotics, and how it has become common that they are allegedly available in pharmacies and even in government-controlled liquor stores. The Governor quoted a recent report by the parliamentary standing committee that said one in five people in Punjab was addicted to drugs.
In his latest communication to Mann, Governor Purohit indicated he was upset over not getting any reply from him on his previous letters and warned him that he could send a report to the President on “failure of constitutional mechanism.” Purohit advised Mann to act before he takes this “final decision” under Article 356 of the Constitution, and section 124 of the Indian Penal Code.
“Before I am going to take final decision regarding sending a report to the President of India under Article 356 about the failure of the constitutional mechanism and take a decision about initiating criminal proceedings under section 124 of the IPC, I ask you to send me the requisite information sought for under my letters referred to above, as also in the matter of the steps taken by you concerning the problem of drugs in the State, failing which I would have no choice but to take action according to law and the Constitution,” the Governor said in the letter.
Responding to the Governor’s warning, AAP leader Malvinder Singh Kang said the Governor should maintain a decorum. “India’s Constitution empowers elected people… Such threatening and warning by the Governor, threat to impose President’s Rule – the BJP’s agenda has come on the lips of the Governor,” Kang said.
“I would like to tell the Governor that if they want to impose the President’s Rule, they should do that in Manipur, in Haryana. Punjab government is working within the constitutional framework. Governor has just one agenda – taking forward BJP’s agenda of disturbing the non-BJP State governments,” the AAP leader alleged.
Other opposition-ruled states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have also alleged the Governor’s interference in the state government’s functioning.