Rajkhowa, the first governor appointed by Modi govt, sacked

Arunachal Pradesh Governor JP Rajkhowa on Monday was reportedly ordered by President Pranab Mukherjee to step down from his office.

Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan has been given additional responsibility to discharge the functions of Arunachal Pradesh Governor.

Mr Rajkowa was earlier advised by the Centre to resign on his own, which he refused.

Rajkhowa’s dismissal follows a recent constitutional crisis in Arunachal Pradesh. The Governors office, however, said there has been no formal communication from anyone asking Rajkhowa to resign from his post.

The court quashed Governor J.P. Rajkhowa’s decision to advance the assembly session by a month and said the Governor “cannot interfere in the activities of the assembly”.

Sources said that the Centres recommendation was forwarded by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reached Rashtrapati Bhavan last evening, after which the President issued the order today.

Mr Rajkhowa was among the first governors to be appointed by the Modi government in May, 2015.

“I will not resign, let them dismiss me…let the president express his dipleasure”. The Home Minister’s meeting with the President came after Rajkhowa refused to step down despite a nudge by the Centre to put in his papers after the Supreme Court passed serious strictures against him over the dismissal of the Congress government a year ago.

The SC, while restoring the Congress government in the state, said Rajkhowa had “discarded” all constitutional options to call an assembly session past year, resulting in the imposition of President’s rule.

Governors are entitled to a five-year term but it is subjected to the “pleasure of the President. Let the government use provisions of Article 156 of the Constitution”, he had said. However, when the Home Ministry submitted a detailed report on the Governor to the President, he finally sacked Rajkhowa on Monday.