Home Minister G. Parameshwar defended the government against allegations of excessive interference especially when addressing Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot who was inquiring about information on the ‘day-to-day administration’. They would reserve the right not to answer some communications from Raj Bhavan, he stated.
“The position of the Governor is one that commands respect and is dignified. The fact that he is asking for questions on administration of the provincial states is the first time I have heard. His duty is the upholding of principles laid out in the Constitution. It is the duty of the Chief Executive and the Chief Executive’s Office. I have never come across a situation where a Head of State asks for facts on the management and intrudes into its processes,” said Mr. Parameshwar while addressing the media in Bengaluru on September 23.
The Home Minister said that some of communications do not have to be responded such do not have a standing. ”There is no obligation also to respond to the Governor. We will answer to those of his communication wherever it is found necessary.
“I have been in politics for 35 years. I have interacted with many Governors and Chief Ministers. Extra ordinary circumstances, such as these, have never come to pass before in the past. Governor asking the government in what cases and with what intentions, and other aspects of the administration, what decisions were made, does not have any precedents.”
The Home Minister accepted that the Governor has the right to get information from the Ministers while addressing the meeting. But the practice is such that it is either the Chief Minister or the Chief Secretary meets the Governor to clarify matters on the certain occasions or Home Minister visits the Governor to discuss regarding law and order. “There might be good reasons for everything things that are done, but writing letters seeking answers to such queries on a routine basis is not in the spirit of the Constitution,” he added.
Mr. Parameshwar said that the ‘government believed the Governor was wrong in serving a showcause notice to a constitutionally elected Chief Minister’,
“We did not protest without a reason. There was no report or investigation done. A show-cause notice was issued based on the complaint without looking into the complaint.”
He further gave out a conclusion that the Governor is not using the same yardstick on the two political figures-one being Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the other being Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy.
“The cabinet considered and replied to the show cause notice. Everything is above board. The Constitution gives us the right to advise the Governor. He has been asked to reconsider the decision.”
