E-Paper
Will work in coordination with new governor: Mann
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said he will welcome Gulab Chand Kataria as the new governor of Punjab and will work in coordination with him.
Chandigarh
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday said he will welcome Gulab Chand Kataria as the new governor of Punjab and will work in coordination with him.
In his first comments on the appointment of Kataria in place of Banwarilal Purohit with whom he had frequent run-ins, Mann said in the morning, he spoke to Kataria, who told him that he would take oath on July 31. “We will welcome the new governor. Punjabis are known for their hospitality. We will work together,” the chief minister said during a press conference at his official residence here after flagging off 58 new ambulances.
Replying to a query, Mann said the government has to appoint vice-chancellors and there may be other constitutional decisions and bills in the state assembly. “If he (the governor) discharges his duties within his constitutional rights, I will also do the same. And everything will function smoothly,” he said.
A BJP veteran from Rajasthan, Kataria (79) has deep roots in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). An eight-time former MLA, he first got elected to the state assembly in 1977. He became the Rajasthan home minister twice, from 2004 to 2008 and 2015 to 2018, during the Vasundhara Raje government. He also served as education, public works and panchayati raj minister from time to time. Kataria was made the Assam governor in February 2023.
Purohit was running parallel govt: CM
Hitting out at Purohit, Mann insinuated he was running a parallel government. The CM said he respected Purohit but had to raise objections to his visits to border areas which raked up conflicts. “As announced earlier, I recently went to Jalandhar for two days, but my director general of police and chief secretary were not with me. I asked about them and was told they are accompanying the governor who is touring the border villages. He (Purohit) was taking half my government with him. How could he run a parallel government?” he said, denying any personal animosity.
The CM also denied any role in Purohit’s resignation. On Friday, when asked why he resigned from the post, Purohit said: “May be I thought the CM doesn’t want me.” Purohit had sent his resignation to the President in February this year.
Replying to a query whether his wife, Dr Gurpreet Kaur, who actively campaigned for the AAP in the recent Jalandhar West bypoll, may fight the upcoming assembly byelections in the state, Mann said participation in election campaign does not mean that she will contest. Four assembly seats, including Dera Baba Nanak, Barnala, Gidderbaha and Chabbewal, had fallen vacant after the recent parliamentary elections as the sitting MLAs got elected to the Lok Sabha.
