Punjab CM digs in heels, says PAU V-C appointed as per rules

Punjab Raj Bhavan seeks clarification on Mann’s letter, says the one received by governor house was different from the communication that the CM posted on Twitter

Chandigarh : Two days after Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit sought the removal of Satbir Singh Gosal as the vice-chancellor (V-C) of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), terming his appointment “totally illegal”, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday wrote back to him, saying the norms and procedures were followed in his selection.

In a communication to the governor, the CM wrote that Gosal’s appointment was done as per the laid 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.

In a communication to the governor, the CM wrote that Gosal’s appointment was done as per the laid 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.

“Dr Satbir Singh Gosal is a known scientist and a respectable Punjabi Sikh. Your direction to remove such a person was a cause of anger among Punjabis,” read the chief minister’s letter written in Punjabi that he promptly shared on his Twitter account. The CM’s response came after the governor had on Tuesday objected to Gosal’s appointment, seeking his removal as the UGC norms were not followed and his approval was also not taken.

However, there was a controversy over the CM’s letter as the one received by the governor house was different from the communication that the CM posted on Twitter. The governor house sought a clarification from the CM about the authenticity of the letter written by him to the governor in Punjabi. “There is a letter in circulation in media which is in Punjabi, alleged to have been written by the CM to the governor but this letter has not been received in Raj Bhavan till this moment. However, the letter received in Raj Bhavan is in English and the contents of both the letters are materially different,” a spokesperson of the governor house said, seeking a clarification.

In the letter in Punjabi that he posted on social media, the CM cited recent differences with the governor and accused him of “interfering in the functioning of the government elected with a massive mandate and this has saddened that people of Punjab”.

“Earlier, you created hurdles in the Vidhan Sabha session, then rejected the appointment of the vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences and now you have objected to the appointment of the PAU V-C,” the chief minister wrote.

Mann said the people of the state have elected the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government with high aspirations. When someone creates hurdles in the functioning of the government, people do not tolerate it, he added.

It further said that he had met the governor on number of occasions in the past and found him to be a “good and honest person”. He said it was unlikely that he was acting like this on his own. He went on ask the governor who was behind his latest moves and why was he accepting the suggestions. “They stay in the backdrop but you get a bad name,” Mann said, adding that he would appeal to the governor with folded hands not to listen to such persons as they were not Punjab’s well-wishers. He said the elected government should be allowed to function.

There is, however, no mention of any of this in the letter sent by the CM to the governor in English, which mainly explained the selection procedure in detail and requested him (Purohit) to reconsider the observations made by him in the demi-official letter on the vice-chancellor’s appointment. It said that the PAU is governed by a separate act of the Parliament which only it can amend. “Therefore, the appointment of the V-C has been done strictly on the merit as per the law and university statues,” it further said.

“Any deviation from the statutes and established procedure will bring down the morale of scientists and also bring negative impression on the farmers. The state government has appointed a renowned scientist and in the selection process, the director general of Indian council for agricultural research was also associated,” read the letter received in the governor house.