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PAU V-C appointment row| Took oath to protect Constitution, won’t allow violation of rules, Punjab governor
Amid tussle between the Punjab government and Raj Bhavan over appointment of Dr Satbir Singh Gosal as the vice-chancellor (V-C) of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), governor Banwarilal Purohit on Friday said the powers to take decisions in the university affairs vest with him as the chancellor, and his objections to a “wrongdoing” should not be seen as an interference in the functioning of the government
Amid tussle between the Punjab government and Raj Bhavan over appointment of Dr Satbir Singh Gosal as the vice-chancellor (V-C) of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), governor Banwarilal Purohit on Friday said the powers to take decisions in the university affairs vest with him as the chancellor, and his objections to a “wrongdoing” should not be seen as an interference in the functioning of the government.
Addressing a press conference at the Raj Bhavan here, the governor said he has taken oath to protect the Constitution and he would not let anything happen against the law.
“In fact, the state government is interfering in the university affairs,” Purohit said, a day after chief minister Bhagwant Mann accused him of “creating hurdles in the functioning of the Aam Aadmi Party government elected with a massive mandate”.
On Tuesday, the governor had sought the removal of Gosal as the V-C of the PAU, dubbing his appointment as “totally illegal”. In a letter to the CM, Purohit said the UGC norms were flouted and he, being the chancellor of the university, was not consulted before making the move.
The CM replied to the governor’s letter on Thursday, saying Gosal’s appointment was done as per the norms of the Haryana and Punjab Agricultural University Act, 1970, by the university’s board. The approval of the governor or the CM was not required to be taken, he said.
To this, the governor said as per the Act, chancellor shall be the honorary chairman of the university board and the vice-chancellor the working chairman. “In view of this, it was necessary for the state government to inform the chairman of the entire programme and the meeting of the board should have been held under his chairmanship,” said the governor. He also referred to the judgment of the Supreme Court supporting his move to raise an objection over Gosal’s appointment.
“The state chief secretary had no power to preside over the meeting of the board,” he reiterated, suggesting that panel should have been sent to him and he would have selected the suitable candidate as the V-C.
On CM’s remark that Gosal is a respected Punjabi Sikh and “there is a lot of resentment among Punjabis over your order of removing such a person”, the governor said there was no need to give a “communal” angle to this. “Where is the personal question involved in this? They are saying a Jat Sikh has been made the V-C. The issue is that they are not following the legal process,” he said, adding he has tremendous liking for Punjabis and Sikhs.
When asked that the Mann government had said it would not reverse the PAU V-C’s appointment, the governor said: “I will have to take legal advice on this.” On if he will meet the CM to sort out the “issues”, Purohit said: “He (CM) can come... I will do my duty, come what may,” adding that he was the constitutional head of the state and reminded Mann that he had administered the oath of office to him as well under the Constitution.
“When they (state government) had taken my approval on three occasions to appoint the V-Cs (IAS officers Anirudh Tewari, DK Tiwari and Sarvjit Singh) of the university as a temporary arrangement, why not before a regular appointment?” the governor asked.
“As alleged by the CM, I am not taking directions from anyone... I am the senior-most in my party. If need be, I will take legal opinion,” Purohit countered the CM as in his letter, Mann had said the governor was being guided by someone and that is “earning him a bad reputation”.
“The state government should rather use my experience as in my tenure of four years as Tamil Nadu governor, I have appointed 27 V-Cs,” said Purohit.
