‘Rude’ Meghalaya governor Shanmuganathan resigns amid molestation charges

Raj Bhawan employees had alleged that Shanmuganathan had “seriously compromised the dignity of the Raj Bhavan and made it a ‘young ladies club’

Updated on: Jan 27, 2017, 10:51:45 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Meghalaya governor V Shanmuganathan resigned from his post on Thursday evening following allegations of molestation and a letter by Raj Bhawan employees to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his removal.

File photo of Meghalaya goernor V Shanmuganathan . (HT File)

“I got a one line confirmation from Itanagar that the governor has resigned. There are no more details,” secretary to the governor HM Sangpliang told Hindustan Times.

Shanmuganathan, who is also governor of Arunachal Pradesh is at present in Itanagar to take part in Republic Day celebrations there.

Chief minister Mukul Sangma had said earlier in the day said that he was waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home ministry to take a call on the issue.

In the five-page letter written on Wednesday, nearly 100 employees termed Shanmuganathan as being “rude, arrogant, temperamental and untruthful”, and requested the Prime Minister to remove him for “demeaning” the position and to “restore the dignity of Raj Bhawan”.

The 11-point letter stated: “He has seriously compromised the dignity of the Raj Bhawan and unfortunately made the Raj Bhawan into the ‘Young Ladies Club’.”

Allegation of molestation was recently labelled against Shanmuganathan by a job aspirant who was called with six others to the Raj Bhawan last month for interviews to fill up the post of public relations officer.

(With inputs from PTI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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