New Delhi: Kalyan Singh may have the dubious distinction of being the second Governor in independent India to face action for violating the model code of conduct by campaigning for Prime Minister Modi. Rashtrapati Bhawan sourc-es indicated on Thursday evening that Singh may be removed as Rajasthan Governor for politicking despite holding a constitutional post.
They said the President has sent his recommendation to the Home Ministry for action on the Election Commission’s report.
Singh’s controversial remarks at Aligarh on March 25, which put him in a spot, were: “As a worker of the BJP, I genuinely want the BJP to win. We want that once again Narendra Modi should become the Prime Minister of India. It is important for the society that Modi should become prime minister again.”
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The EC acted on the complaint of one Poonam Chand Bhandari that “more than a week has passed but Governor Kalyan Singh has not responded and explained under what circumstances the aforesaid statement was made; nor has he tendered any apology; thus, he deserves to be removed from the office.
His remarks were in violation of the oath taken by him under Article 159 of the Constitution.”A contrarian view is that the model code, which has been in place since the election dates were announced last month, does not apply to constitutional authorities like the governor.
However, media reports said the President’s office is convinced that “no one in a constitutional post is permitted to campaign” for anyone. When Singh’s comments were reported in the media, the President had indicated that he disapproved of it.
The ball is now in the PM’s court and he will have to take a decision on whether the Governor can be removed during the election process, in view of the serious and rare indictment of a constitutional authority. The BJP veteran has been a Governor since 2014.
In the 1990s, then Himachal Pradesh Governor Gulsher Ahmed was forced to resign for violating the poll code by campaigning for his son. Congress party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala claimed this was the first time in the history that a governor has openly campaigned for a prime minister.
He charged that Singh has “tarnished” the established traditions and accepted norms of the office of governor. “He has no right to stay in the post of governor even for a minute,” Surjewala told reporters here. The President was on a trip abroad and returned only on Thursday.
