MADRAS: In a historic resolution, the Tamil Nadu Assembly, last week, demanded the removal of the Governor, M. Channa Reddy, for acting in an “unconstitutional manner calculated to destabilize lawfully elected popular government.”
The government resolution was taken up after the House waived Sec. 92 (vii) of the Assembly rules which prohibited discussion on the conduct of the Governor and use of the Governor’s name for the purpose of influencing the debate.
(According to sources, the Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, is understood to have discussed with the President, Shanker Dayal Sharma the sequence of political developments in Tamil Nadu in view of the state Assembly resolution demanding the recall of the Governor).
Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha last week startled the TN Assembly by accusing Governor M. Channa Reddy of having behaved in an “improper manner” (thavarana murai) when she called on him at the Raj Bhayan in August 1993. Apart from this, Dr. Reddy had used “unacceptable words” and humiliated her, the CM declared in the House while intervening in the discussion on the resolution calling for the removal of the Governor.
As the full import of the CM’s statement dawned on the AIADMK members, they began rising from their seats and calling for action against the Governor. The Chief Minister, raising her voice above the din, went on to say that the Governor did not conduct himself with “decency, decorum and dignity” during his meeting with her.
She did not want to come out with all these details,” as it is not a nice thing to do.” However, she was forced to make these disclosures when CLP deputy leader S. Daniel Raj accused her of not constantly apprising the Governor of the situation in the state, she said, “He has forced me to reveal all this. When Dr. Reddy was first appointed, she used to visit him frequently, but the turning point came with the August 1993 meeting.
“If a Governor shows disrespect and humiliates a chief minister in face-to-face meetings, and uses improper language, how could there be a working relationship,” she wondered, A chief minister, whether a man or a woman, would have honor and self-respect.
“How can you talk to someone, if he talks as he pleases using derogatory words?” she asked, “If a Governor makes a derogatory remark against a chief minister forgetting his sense of dignity, how can they sit in one place and talk face to face?”
As long as the present Governor continued, at no point, of time would it be possible to hold conversation with him sit same place. Such a situation was created by the Governor himself.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 5, 1995
