Will visit border dists even if CM ‘feels bad’, says Punjab guv

Chandigarh : The tussle between Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit and chief minister Bhagwant Mann has resurfaced with the former on Friday declaring that he will continue with his visits to border districts and exercise his constitutional powers notwithstanding the chief minister’s objections.

Purohit said there was no reason for the chief minister to be afraid of him as he was not into politics or campaigning to seek votes. He also said the CM should run the government and do his work as he (governor) was also doing his job. “I will continue my visits and speak about lacunae. If he (CM) does good work, I will appreciate it,” Purohit said at a press conference, sticking to his guns and wondering why the governor should be a problem for anybody.

The governor’s remarks came a day after Mann, while speaking to reporters in Jalandhar on Thursday, raised questions over Purohit’s visits to border districts and powers to appoint vice-chancellors of universities from a panel of names recommended by the state government, stating that he should refrain from creating an “atmosphere of conflict” and instead inaugurate seminars and conferences. “He (governor) should inaugurate seminars and participate in university events and not hold tours and roadshows in border areas. The governor must refrain from taking ‘panga’ (raking up conflicts) with the state government. ‘Meri adhi sarkar le jande ne’ (he takes half of my government whenever he goes on such visits),” the CM had said.

‘My resignation was not accepted’

Replying to a query about his resignation from the post about six months ago, Purohit said he gave his resignation, but it was not accepted. On being pressed for the reason, he said: “May be, I thought CM (Mann) does not want me.”

Mann and Purohit were at loggerheads over a slew of issues earlier, but there was a lull after their tussle reached the Supreme Court. The fresh war of words has come just days after President Droupadi Murmu refused to clear a Punjab government bill seeking to replace the governor with the CM as the chancellor of state-run universities.

‘Border visits fruitful’

Purohit, who came back from his 7th tour of border districts of the state a day earlier, told reporters that due to his visits and interaction with officials, there is an improvement in coordination between the state police, army and central agencies such as the Border Security Force, National Investigation Agency, Narcotics Control Bureau and Intelligence Bureau in their efforts to check smuggling of drugs and weapons from Pakistan.

The governor also took credit for motivating the residents of border areas and setting up village development committees to help seize drugs and drones. “This is my idea. To encourage them, I have declared prizes from the governor’s discretionary funds, saying any villager who gives information, helps drug seizures or drones, will be given ?3 lakh, ?2 lakh and ?1 lakh as first, second and third prizes. Similar prizes have been announced for drug-free villages, he said. He also said even if the CM feels bad about his visits, he will still go.

‘10 state varsities without regular V-Cs’

On the CM’s objections to his role in the appointment of university vice-chancellors in the state, Purohit said he is the chancellor of all state-run universities in Punjab and has to ensure things run smoothly there. “The CM did not like it, but my nature is different. I go by merit. Today, the situation is that 10 universities are functioning without regular vice-chancellors. UGC guidelines are in place and universities have to be run in accordance with them,” he said, explaining in detail the process prescribed for appointment of vice-chancellors.

The governor said he appointed 27 vice-chancellors when he was the Tamil Nadu governor, but there was no issue there and the CM (Mann) could confirm the same with his friend (Tamil Nadu chief minister MK) Stalin,” he said.

Purohit added that he has been appointed by the President, but CM sahab could not understand and passed a resolution in the Punjab assembly that the university chancellor should be the CM and not the governor. “When the matter came to me, I had no alternative but to send it to the President. It was rejected. No one is above the President in this country. It is my request that the CM should agree to what the President says,” he said.

‘No grudge against anyone’

The governor also said he has no grudge against anyone and is only discharging his constitutional duty.

Replying to a query on the CM’s remark that the governor was taking “half his government with him to border areas”, Purohit said that two officials, the chief secretary and the director general of police, accompanied him (from the state headquarters) to districts. On whether the budget session has been prorogued, the governor said he was pulled up by the Supreme Court and does not want to get into it.

Asked to comment on Mann’s statement that in a crackdown on drug menace, 10,000 policemen were transferred, Purohit said if the CM has done this, he will get good results. “During my initial visit to border areas, I had also received complaints regarding the involvement of some police officials at the thana level,” he said.