Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit responded on Friday to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s dig at him for visiting the state’s border districts, and said he will not refrain from doing so even if the AAP leader “feels bad”.
The governor, who earlier had been at loggerheads with the chief minister over various issues, also asked Mann “not to be afraid of him” and stressed that there was no reason for the CM to be ”upset”.
Mann had on Thursday hit out at Purohit, saying he should refrain from creating an “atmosphere of conflict” and instead inaugurate a seminar at a university.
Addressing the media here on Friday evening, Purohit spoke at length about his tours to the border districts of Pathankot, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran.
He stressed that because of his visit, coordination between the police force and central agencies has improved which will help in their efforts to check smuggling of drugs and weapons from Pakistan.
Purohit also said village-level defence committees have been formed in border villages at his instance and he has also declared cash prizes for villages helping in the recovery of drones and drugs.
He reiterated the entire border area will be covered with an anti-drone system within a year.
Speaking to reporters in Jalandhar on Thursday, Mann said the governor holds a constitutional post and should fulfil his responsibility “and we will fulfil ours”.
He was reacting to Purohit’s visits to border districts and meetings with villagers and officials of the police and central agencies.
Replying to a question about it, Purohit said, “Even if he feels bad about my visit, I will still go.” The governor said, ”I meet all. I meet representatives of every party. I listen to them. There is no politics in me.” On the issue being made out of his visits, Purohit said, “Why does the chief minister need to be afraid of me? Why should the governor be a problem for anybody?” ”Where do I interfere? The visits are my constitutional responsibility and it will happen,” he said, adding it is his duty to take responsibility for national security matters.
“Through you (media) I want to tell people that my intention is pure. There is no reason why the CM should be upset,” Purohit said.
Asked about his resignation in February this year, he said it was not accepted by the Centre. To a question on the reason behind his resignation, the governor said, “Maybe I thought the CM did not like me.” Purohit had submitted his resignation to the President, citing personal reasons.
On Mann’s claim that the governor takes “half of my government along” during his visits to border areas, Purohit said only the chief secretary and the state police chief accompany him while the deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police of the district concerned remain present at the spot.
Asked about his last year’s comment that he would not use the state government’s helicopter anymore, the governor said, “I travel by road… it helps me understand Punjab better.” About the issue of university vice chancellors’ appointment, the governor said he was the chancellor of the universities in the state.
Notably, a bill that seeks to replace the Punjab governor with the chief minister as the chancellor of state-run universities has been returned by the President without her assent.
“Nobody is above the President in the country and what she says should be accepted,” the Punjab governor said.
“There were no regular vice-chancellors at 10 universities in Punjab. They (state government) did not do it (appointments),” Purohit said during the media interaction.
He said as per UGC guidelines, a search committee, comprising experts and the nominees of the state government and the governor, is formed for the appointment of a vice-chancellor.
Out of the names suggested by the search committee, the governor, who is also the chancellor of state-run universities, selects the best candidate for the post of vice-chancellor, Purohit said.
He recalled that as the governor of Tamil Nadu, he had appointed 27 vice-chancellors and there was no issue over the appointments. If CM Mann has any doubt then he can ask his Tamil Nadu counterpart who is his friend, the Punjab governor said.
About Mann’s remarks that only elected representatives should take government-related decisions and not the “selected” ones, Purohit said, ”What is his perception? Who can deny that the public elected him? I am appointed by the President.” “The CM did not understand. He said it is not right (selection process of VCs). It is his perception that the governor should not remain the chancellor and the CM should be the chancellor,” he said.
Purohit said the bill seeking to replace the Punjab governor with the chief minister as the chancellor of state-run universities was passed in the state assembly.
“I neither support nor oppose the move of removing the governor from the post of chancellor. How could I make a decision about it? I had no alternative but to send it to the President of India. The president discussed it and returned it as rejected and said the current system should continue,” Purohit said.
“There is one request to the chief minister… I have no grudge. Punjab should progress and work should be carried out following the constitution.” Reacting to Mann’s barb that Purohit had lost elections thrice, the governor said he won elections five times and lost three times.
“I do not care. I have seen defeat and victory. But it is not zero. It is 60 a per cent result,” he added.
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