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Advani defends asking governors to resign

Union Home Minister L K Advani today defended the government's action in asking for the resignations of West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh governors, saying that they had completed their terms.

Replying to questions at a news conference, Advani said it was wrong to term the action of the home ministry as dismissal or removal of the governors.

He refuted all opposition allegations that the government had violated constitutional norms and his party's political stand not to use the governors' offices for political purposes. It was a routine exercise undertaken after the terms of the governors expired, he said.

He, however, ruled out any further reshuffle or removal of the governors at present.

Reacting to the opposition, particularly the left and the Congress's allegations that a caretaker government had nono right to reshuffle or remove the governors, the Union home minister said he would not like to enter into a controversy on this issue.

The question of the powers of a caretaker government had already been debated and discussed at length. ''If the Congress and the left were really concerned over such matters they should have insisted for elections in June. This could have installed a government with a proper mandate to take all such decisions,'' he remarked.

Asked about the Arunachal Pradesh governor, Mata Prasad's refusal to resign, Advani said he was not aware of it. ''I will look into it after returning to Delhi,'' he added.

UNI

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