NEW DELHI: Indian president R Venkataraman Wednesday night dismissed the Bihar governor Mohammad Yunus Saleem and accepted the resignation of Surjeet Singh Barnala as T N governor.
A Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidents house) communiqué said Bhishma Narain Singh a former union minister had been appointed the governor of Tamil Nadu while B Satyanarayana Reddy the Uttar Pradesh governor would hold additional charge of governor of Bihar till a successor was appointed.
The resignation of Barnala and dismissal of Salim came after a day of intense speculation about gubernatorial changes in the two states.
While Barnala sent in his resignation to the president following the centers move to transfer him to Bihar Salim earned the wrath of the centre for criticising the imposition of presidents rule in Tamil Nadu in an address to the joint session of the Bihar legislature. Barnala was slated for transfer after the ruling party’s allies — Congress (I) and AIADMK -said that he was not suited for governorship during Presidents rule in Tamil Nadu following his refusal to send a report on the situation in the state
The centre had asked Saleem to explain his remarks which according to official sources amounted to committing constitutional impropriety. The dismissal follows Saleems explanation to the centre earlier in the day.
Earlier the Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav took strong exception to reports about the removal of Saleem and said it is a very wrong step.
The address was prepared by state government and as such it should be the target of attack and not the governor whose speech is only customary Laloo Prasad said.
Barnala a former chief minister of Punjab is understood to have expressed dissatisfaction over the centers move to transfer him to Bihar after having imposed presidents rule in Tamil Nadu on January 30.
In a message to the people of Tamil Nadu Barnala said he was leaving Tamil Nadu with a heavy heart and many sweet memories
Early last week at his first press meet after the state came under presidents rule Barnala said he was not resigning and when asked if his stand on presidents rule would not lead to confrontation between him and the centre had said the foresaw no friction in implementing presidents rule.
PATNA: Saleem refused to resign. 1 will prefer dismissal to resignation he told PT! in an interview.
Asked to comment on the centres move to remove him the Governor retorted: Let the President dismiss me. Unless I am told where | have committed a constitutional impropriety I will not step down.
The governor regretted that he was constantly harassed by union home ministry officials on telephone asking him to resign.
He said that he got the first call around midnight from the union home secretary MR R.K_Bhargava and again a call early in the morning.
I told them every time that unless I got a communiqué from the Rashtrapati Bhawan I will not step down he said.
The Governor said that the centres move to remove him was not unexpected to me.
He said that the centre was always insisting that he sent an adverse report on the law and order front. But I find the situation in the state far better than that prevailing in other states including Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat (where the Janata Dal (S) is in Power) he remarked.
Stating that he had not received any official communique from the presidents house so far Saleem said that he had sent a letter to the president explaining the position under article 76 of the constitution.
The article makes it obligatory for the governor to read out before the joint legislature session the address prepared by the government and approved by the cabinet.
Saleem said that the governor could not use his discretion to make any changes in the speech approved by the council of ministers. My address did not intend to cast aspirations on the president he explained.
The governor said that opposition members had lated constitutional provisions by heckling him while entering the house on Sunday.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 22, 1991
