JOIN USOutgoing Arunachal Pradesh Governor J P Rajkhowa on Tuesday claimed that he had never recommended imposition of President’s Rule in the state.
A day after President Pranab Mukherjee sacked him, the controversial governor, before leaving Raj Bhawan, reiterated in his farewell speech, a copy of which is available with DH, that the President’s Rule imposed in Arunachal Pradesh a few months ago was not based only on his report.
Rajkhowa gave a detailed clarification on the scenario that led to the controversial turn of events and claimed that the President's Rule was imposed in the state on the recommendation of the prime minister and the Union Cabinet chaired by him under Article 356 of the Constitution.
“I would like to make it absolutely clear, so that there is no misunderstanding about me being anti-democratic, which some quarters have been alleging. I had never recommended that the President's Rule be imposed in the state of Arunachal Pradesh on January 26,” Rajkhowa stated in his speech. The Supreme Court had reinstated the Congress government in the state and called its dismissal “illegal and unconstitutional”.
Justifying his stand, Rajkhowa said the Supreme Court in many cases in the past had issued instructions to take action against governors, but not in his case.
“The Supreme Court had not passed such strictures on the governor or any disparaging remarks on me,” he said, adding that the five-judge bench has neither questioned the bonafides of the governor nor questioned his actions on grounds of malafide and has not indicted him of being biased or partial in favour of any political party.
The sacked governor apparently trained his guns at the Centre and said that he would not take any other post in the future.