Row over Governors' removal: Congress attacks govt; JD-U wants debate

New Delhi, June 18:

on Wednesday kept up attack on Government over removal of

appointed during

rule, saying its priority should be to combat inflation and not "shadow boxing" while JD(U) demanded a debate in Parliament over the very need of having Governors.

Maintaining that there is a long history to the "partisan attitude" of Governors, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said, "what BJP led Government is doing today, the same has been done in the past by the UPA Government as well. And it has been seen in the past that most of the time a Governor's authority is misused."

In a statement, Tyagi, while citing various instances of "misuse" of power by Governors and their shuffling by different governments, said, "when the debate on Governor's appointment has already started then why not look at the role and the process of appointment of a Governor? "

JD(U) will like to initiate a meaningful debate in the coming budget session of the parliament the code of conduct, roles and responsibilities of a Governor and also look at the need of the post of Governor."

Congress said that the NDA government's priority this time should have been checking inflation and not "political vendetta" and "shadow boxing".

Party leader and former Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari tweeted, "why BJP govt violating spirit of Constitution Bench Judgement in Singal's matter by pressurising Governors to resign! Is this democratic?"

Mahila Congress chief and another party spokesperson Shobha Oza said that the government's priority right now should be checking price rise and inflation in place of "some political vendetta" like removal of Governors or Chairpersons of some Commissions.

Her colleague Sandip Dikshit said that Governors are constitutional posts and they should be allowed to remain that.

He said that the Supreme Court judgement makes it clear that you cannot replace Governors whimsically simply because they have a different political thinking.

PTI