Nagaland guv resign, Kerala BJP to campaign for Dikshit’s head
26 Jun 2014 10:27 PM GMT
Thiruvananthapuram: BJP in Kerala on Wednesday announced a protest programme to press for the resignation of governor Sheila Dikshit, appointed by the previous UPA government ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
A meeting of the state office-bearers of the party held here decided to ‘boycott’ Dikshit and conduct a Raj Bhavan March on 3 July and district-level protests on 7 July to press for the resignation of Dikshit. Talking to reporters after the meeting, state Bharatiya Janata Party president V Muraleedharan alleged that Dikshit was ‘using the Raj Bhavan as a cover to avoid investigation in corruption charges.’ He said the governor should step down on her own in the prevailing circumstances. Dikshit, along with governors of various other states appointed during the UPA rule, had reportedly been sounded by the Centre to resign.
Dikshit, a former Delhi chief minister, who was appointed governor in March last, however, had declined to comment on the issue, saying she cannot react to media reports. Meanwhile, Nagaland governor Ashwani Kumar resigned on Wednesday, becoming the third person occupying the gubernatorial post to put in his papers since the NDA government prodded some of the governors, appointed during UPA rule, to quit.
‘I resigned this morning and came to Shimla. I am relaxed now,’ Ashwani Kumar said.
The resignation of 63-year-old Kumar came days after Union Home secretary Anil Goswami had telephoned some of the Governors, appointed by the previous UPA regime, to step down after the Narendra Modi government assumed charge. Uttar Pradesh governor BL Joshi and Chhattisgarh governor Shekhar Dutt have put in their papers last week. Kumar, a former IPS officer who had served as Director of Central Bureau of Investigation, was appointed as Nagaland governor in March 2013.
Kumar was Central Bureau of Investigation director when the agency had arrested Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Amit Shah in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter killing case in Gujarat. All the three governors who have resigned so far are either former IPS or IAS officers. Joshi is a former IPS officer and Dutt is a former IAS officer. However, no governor with a political background has stepped down as yet. Earlier in the day, Home minister Rajnath Singh did not rule out the possibility of appointment of some new governors before the budget session of Parliament beginning 7 July.
‘I will not rule out anything now...I will be able to tell you only after 3-4 days,’ he said here.
Sources said government was considering appointing some BJP veterans as governors in around ten states.
A meeting of the state office-bearers of the party held here decided to ‘boycott’ Dikshit and conduct a Raj Bhavan March on 3 July and district-level protests on 7 July to press for the resignation of Dikshit. Talking to reporters after the meeting, state Bharatiya Janata Party president V Muraleedharan alleged that Dikshit was ‘using the Raj Bhavan as a cover to avoid investigation in corruption charges.’ He said the governor should step down on her own in the prevailing circumstances. Dikshit, along with governors of various other states appointed during the UPA rule, had reportedly been sounded by the Centre to resign.
Dikshit, a former Delhi chief minister, who was appointed governor in March last, however, had declined to comment on the issue, saying she cannot react to media reports. Meanwhile, Nagaland governor Ashwani Kumar resigned on Wednesday, becoming the third person occupying the gubernatorial post to put in his papers since the NDA government prodded some of the governors, appointed during UPA rule, to quit.
‘I resigned this morning and came to Shimla. I am relaxed now,’ Ashwani Kumar said.
The resignation of 63-year-old Kumar came days after Union Home secretary Anil Goswami had telephoned some of the Governors, appointed by the previous UPA regime, to step down after the Narendra Modi government assumed charge. Uttar Pradesh governor BL Joshi and Chhattisgarh governor Shekhar Dutt have put in their papers last week. Kumar, a former IPS officer who had served as Director of Central Bureau of Investigation, was appointed as Nagaland governor in March 2013.
Kumar was Central Bureau of Investigation director when the agency had arrested Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Amit Shah in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter killing case in Gujarat. All the three governors who have resigned so far are either former IPS or IAS officers. Joshi is a former IPS officer and Dutt is a former IAS officer. However, no governor with a political background has stepped down as yet. Earlier in the day, Home minister Rajnath Singh did not rule out the possibility of appointment of some new governors before the budget session of Parliament beginning 7 July.
‘I will not rule out anything now...I will be able to tell you only after 3-4 days,’ he said here.
Sources said government was considering appointing some BJP veterans as governors in around ten states.
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