Amid the political developments in non-BJP ruled states and tiff with gubernatorial offices, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Friday urged President Doupadi Murmu to send a clear message to all the Governors to follow their Constitutional duties neutrally.
"President Droupadi Murmu ji must send out a clear message to all Governors," NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said.
To establish his point, Crasto gave the example of former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and current Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi. "What Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi did is dangerous for the functioning of our democracy. The position of the Governor is constitutional and must function neutrally as the guardian of a state, but lately, Governors appointed during this BJP-led government seem to have forgotten this," Crasto said.
Crasto pointed out that the Constitution says that a Governor can only appoint or remove a minister on the advice of the Chief Minister of the state, but that Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi disregarded this mandate and took an unconstitutional decision in dismissing state minister Senthil Balaji, displaying a political leaning.
"Another recent example of a Governor who functioned beyond his constitutional responsibility was Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the ex Governor of Maharashtra, he acted more like a representative of a political party and less like a constitutional head of a state," Crasto said.
"Governors are answerable to the President. Therefore, our President Droupadi Murmu ji must send out a clear message to all Governors to fulfil their constitutional duties and act neutrally as guardians of their states," he added.
Published 30 June 2023, 13:06 IST