President-PM meet to seal UP governor's fate
George Iype in New Delhi
In an apparent bid to ease the tensions created between President K R Narayanan and Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, the latter met the former for 70 minutes on Thursday and discussed the political developments in Uttar Pradesh. The prime minister has called a Cabinet meeting on Friday, though an official spokesman would not confirm whether the ministers will discuss the past week's developments in UP.
A brief communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan said the prime minister appraised the President of the six-day-old political crisis in UP. Gujral will also keep the President posted about the political situation in the state, it added.
Rashtrapathi Bhavan sources told Rediff On The NeT that the President and the prime minister discussed 'in great detail' UP Governor Romesh Bhandari's controversial order, dismissing the Kalyan Singh government and installing Loktantrik Congress leader Jagdambika Pal as chief minister.
Gujral had come prepared with his answers to the letter that Narayanan had written to him on Tuesday, expressing concern over the developments and asking him to recommend the governor's removal.
The President's letter had reflected his strong feelings with respect to the UP governor who had not heeded his advice against rushing with the dismissal of the Bharatiya Janata Party government.
Narayanan and Gujral are also said to have discussed the issues arising out of the UP controversy.
During the day, the President was apprised by legal experts about the relative powers of the President and the prime minister when such constitutional issues arise.
"Indications from the meeting between the President and the prime minister suggest that Bhandari is on his way out as UP governor," a Rashtrapati Bhavan official said.
He said the prime minister also agreed with the President's views that Bhandari should be removed for his 'unwise, incorrect and unconstitutional act' of dismissing a government without asking Kalyan Singh to prove his majority on the floor of the assembly.
At the same time, the prime minister expressed his 'impropriety' of calling a Cabinet meeting and recommending the governor's recall as the 11th Lok Sabha has been dissolved. Moreover, Gujral apprised Narayanan of his 'helplessness' in arriving at a unanimous Cabinet decision against the governor as most of the United Front partners have solidly backed Bhandari throughout the crisis.
"The President is waiting for a nod from the prime minister to axe Bhandari," the Rashtrapati Bhavan official said. "He expects it soon."
He said it has been 'incorrect' on the part of some political leaders to malign the President for expressing his concern over the UP crisis. He said former president Shankar Dayal Sharma had written to the then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao about the removal of then Himachal Pradesh governor Shiela Kaul. The latter had been embroiled in a scam involving the allotment of government houses and shops to her relatives in New Delhi.
"It is wrong to dub that President Narayanan has overstepped his limits and created a precedent by writing to the prime minister," the source added.
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