While everyone has a distinct stand on the subject-matter of vacation of office by Governors appointed by the previous UPA government, the underlying facts will have to be considered prior to establishing any conclusion. Shall I not start this with the appointment of Mrs. Sheila Dixit as the Governor of Kerala post the poor performance of the Congress in the state polls of Delhi and just prior to the biggest-ever defeat of the Congress in the general elections? A candidate who was completely forbidden by the general public was given an opportunity to enjoy the constitutional office, along with the perquisites of accommodation in the Raj Bhawan.
The congress spokespersons are repeatedly alleging the unconstitutional validity of the stance of the NDA government; however are overlooking what has many a times been witnessed in the history. When the NDA-led union government vacated office in 2004 and was succeeded by the UPA four Governors were removed on arbitrary grounds owing to their appointment by the then NDA government. And then were the Governors appointed for the sole reason to accommodate political personalities in an honorable office and to maintain smooth equilibrium between the union government and the alliances. Was this at all justifiable?
Now when we look at the present scenario, it appears that the new government at the center is too following the same outlook. The Governors appointed during the UPA and UPA-2 reign are on the verge of losing their offices and almost every political party is criticizing the approach of the union government, along with alleging the decision of the honorable Supreme Court in 2010. ‘Valid and compelling reasons’ for the removal of the Governor was a part of the judgment, hence BJP appears to stand a step behind. However, facts are to be considered prior to concluding that the present government is moving on an erroneous path.
Goa’s Governor, Mr. B V Wanchoo and West Bengal’s Mr. M K Narayanan may be questioned by the CBI with respect to the much-hyped Augusta Westland deal. On the other hand, many Governors are about to complete their tenures. Plus, the fact that Gujarat’s Governor, Ms. Kamla Beniwal and Mr. H R Bhardhwaj of Karnataka have many a times fallen into unjustifiable conflict with the policies of the respective state governments is unhidden. Another part of this episode is the office of the Governor occupied by Mrs. Sheila Dixit, which can be related to granting her invulnerability with respect to the Commonwealth Games outrage.
Mr. B L Joshi seems to have recognized the fact that when the appointments were made on reprehensible grounds, the vacation has to be unordinary. To ensure nexus between the productive policies of the union government and the Governors, shall we not conclude that the BJP has no other way than to remove the Governors appointed by the former government. However, such ceremonial measures can be avoided every time the new government comes into picture by excluding politicians from the purview of the office of Governors. Best option can be the culmination of political position once anyone finds place in the office of Governor.
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