Amid the ongoing tussle between Raj Bhawan and the state government, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Friday has shot off a strongly-worded warning letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, asking him to respond to his questions, failing which, Purohit said, he could recommend President’s rule in the state and also initiate criminal proceedings.
“I am pained to point out that there is reason to believe that there is failure of the constitutional machinery in the state,” Purohit said in his fresh letter to Mann.
“Before I am going to take final decision regarding sending a report to the President of India under Article 356 about the failure of the constitutional mechanism and take a decision about initiating criminal proceedings under Section 124 of the IPC, I ask you to send me the requisite information sought for under my letters, as also in the matter of the steps taken by you concerning the problem of drugs in the state, failing which I would have no choice but to take action according to law and the Constitution,” Purohit said in the letter.
A state is brought under direct rule of the Centre with the invocation of Article 356, usually after a report is sent by the Governor. The IPC section relates to assaulting or wrongfully restraining the President or a governor from exercising their lawful powers.
The Governor, further quoting from the Constitution, said, “Bound as I am by the duty placed on the Governor under the Constitution to see that the administration is carried on a level which would be regarded as good, efficient, impartial and honest, and that the proposals enunciated by the government are not contrary to the Law of the Land, I have therefore to advise you, warn you and ask you to respond to my letters referred to above and give me the information sought by me.”
Purohit said that the information sought by him on August 1 was not yet given.
“It appears that you are deliberately refusing to give the information asked for by me. I regret to note here that in spite of the clear provisions of Article 167 of the Constitution of India which makes it mandatory for the chief minister to furnish all such information relating to the administration of affairs of the state as the Governor may call for, you have failed to supply the information sought by me,” the Guv said.
“Far from supplying the information sought by me, you have exhibited absence of grace and decorum when you proceeded to make unnecessary and unwarranted observations demonstrating what may only be described as extreme animosity and personal prejudice against me personally, as also the office of the governor,” he added in the letter.
In Friday’s letter, the governor has also raised questions about the supply of drugs in the state. “I have received reports from various agencies regarding rampant availability and abuse of the drugs in Punjab. It is common knowledge that they are available in chemist shops, a new trend is observed that they are being sold in the government controlled liquor vends,” Purohit said.
He added that these point to the “breaking down of law and order” in the state, “so much so that now villagers have started protest on the streets in a large numbers and decided to setup their own village defence committees to protect themselves from drugs”.
“Please send a report concerning the action taken by you in the matter of these drugs to my office immediately,” he added.