E-Paper
Tamilisai: KCR govt insulting governor office
Tamilisai, who met the PM on Wednesday in New Delhi, accused the state government headed by KCR of insulting her by denying her the official protocol she deserved.
The rift between Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and chief minister (CM) K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) seems to have been widening with the former calling on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi to discuss the state affairs.
Tamilisai, who met the PM on Wednesday in New Delhi, accused the state government headed by KCR of insulting her by denying her the official protocol she deserved.She shared with Modi that the state had commenced the budget session without the customary governor’s address on the pretext of technical grounds.
She explained to him (Modi) how the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government was showing utter disrespect towards the institution of the governor, a Raj Bhavan official said on the condition of anonymity.
She was not invited for the inauguration of the renovated Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Yadadri. “When she went to the temple a couple of days later, even the temple executive officer did not receive her, forget the local district collector and superintendent of police,” quoting Tamilisai, the official said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tamilisai, however, said she had not lodged any complaint against the state. “I only raised issues pertaining to direct flights between Puducherry and Telangana, stepping up of facilities in government hospitals etc. I also thanked Modi for the vaccination programme,” she said.
Replying to a query, the governor said that “the TRS government has been discourteous toward a woman governor.”
Stating that the government should respect the system, if not an individual, Tamilisai said she would not have taken it seriously, if she was insulted personally. “But they are disrespecting the institution of the governor. I wonder even the state chief secretary was unaware of the protocol to be extended to the governor,” she said.
Talking about how she had openly appreciated the TRS government and KCR when they took good decisions, Tamilisai , added, “At the same time, when I found some lapses, I made suggestions to the government, especially regarding the bad conditions in the government hospitals.”
The recent incident of rodents biting a patient in the Warangal hospital should not recur,she said.
Denying the allegation that she had withheld the CM’s recommendation on TRS leader P Kaushik Reddy’s nomination for the state legislative council, Tamilisai said there was no dispute.
“He was nominated under governor’s quota in social service category. After making inquiries, I told the government that he did not fit into that category. So, I kept it pending. It is not proper for the government to insult the institution of the governor using this as an excuse,” she said.
She demanded that the TRS should disclose “what political benefit I would get by refusing the nomination for the MLC seat.” “When a different person was nominated, I immediately accepted it. Where is the politics in it?” she asked.Senior TRS leader and state energy minister G Jagadish Reddy told a news channel that KCR gives utmost respect to the Constitutional positions. “But it was Tamilisai who brought politics into Raj Bhavan by refusing to accept the government’s recommendations and rejecting its files. She is allowing the BJP leaders to use Raj Bhavan for political purposes. So, we are also compelled to react in the same manner,” he said.
Maintaining that she has always been transparent, Tamilisai said if there were any issues, the CM could straightaway discuss them with her.
“I am not a person of controversies. I want to maintain friendly relations with the government and the people. So, I don’t understand why the state is behaving with me like this,” she said.
Stating that she had no ego, Tamilisai said she had invited everybody, including the CM, for the Ugadi celebrations at Raj Bhavan. “I did not ignore anyone yet, they stayed away from the event,” she said.
Warning KCR of serious consequences for treating the governor with contempt, BJP floor leader in the assembly T Raja Singh said, “Even chief secretary Somesh Kumar would have to pay for insulting the institution of governor.”
