Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday sought to downplay the state Governor Ram Naik’s observations on the law and order situation in the state and said that he enjoyed a cordial relationship with the governor.

“My relationship with the governor is good,” remarked Akhilesh when queried on Naik’s press conference here on Monday during which he had said that the law and order situation in UP needed improvement.

The Chief Minister also evaded a reply when reminded about the remarks of some Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders that the party would launch an agitation against the governor if he did not stop ‘meddling in’ the affairs of the state.

Akhilesh said that he would be meeting the governor soon to wish him on the occasion of Diwali.The Chief Minister’s remarks come a day after Naik, in a shift from the established traditions, held a press conference on Monday and gave an account of his 90 days tenure as governor.

He said that he had spoken to Akhilesh on the issue of improving the law and order in the state. “The law and order situation in UP needs to be improved,” he had remarked.

SP leaders had reacted sharply to the governor’s observations and threatened to launch an agitation against him on the issue.

Naik had come under attack from the SP leaders and ministers during the recently concluded national convention of the SP for criticising the state government on the law and order issue. The SP leaders said that the governor was ‘interferring’ with the functioning of the government.

The SP had even adopted a resolution criticising the ‘interference’.
Naik had also hosted a dinner for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionaries at Rajbhavan a few days back. The RSS leaders were in the state capital to participate in a three day meeting of the Sangh. SP had then also criticised the governor.