Sonia ends Tiwari’s raj
Hyderabad/New Delhi, Dec. 26: The AP Governor, Mr Narayan Dutt Tiwari, 85, who is embroiled in a sex scandal, quit his post on Saturday after the Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, expressed her displeasure at the allegations against him.
Though the Governor sent his resignation letter to the President, Mrs Pratibha Patil, saying he was quitting on health grounds, the reasons were obvious.
A TV channel ABN Andhra Jyoti had on Friday telecast visuals showing the Governor in a compromising position with three young women, but his aide, Mr Aryendra Sharma, had said later that that the allegations were rubbish and the senior leader would continue in his post.
However, with Mrs Gandhi expressing outrage at the scandal in the party core committee meeting in Delhi on Saturday morning, there was no option for Mr Tiwari but to quit.
It is learnt that the resignation of the Governor has been forwarded to the home ministry. The President will accept the resignation after receiving a recommendation from the ministry.
The home ministry has also sought a report from the Andhra Pradesh chief secretary, Mr Ramakant Reddy, on the allegations. Even after exiting ignominiously from the Raj Bhavan, Mr Tiwari is likely to face criminal cases in connection with the allegation.
State government officials chose not to react officially to the developments saying the whole administration was running in the name of the Governor and they could not comment.
Nobody has lodged any complaint against Mr Tiwari over the alleged scandal. The chief secretary has reportedly consulted legal experts about this angle too. “We cannot interfere as there is no complaint,” said the additional director-general of police, Mr A.K. Khan. “The issue has to be dealt with by the Constitutional authorities. We have no right to say anything.”
The Congress welcomed the resignation of Mr Tiwari though it had refused to comment on the issue earlier saying he was holding a constitutional post. “I think he has taken an appropriate decision keeping in view the high standards of public life and we welcome it,” said AICC media department chief, Mr Janardhan Dwivedi in Delhi. “I think Tiwari does not want to hold on to office till it is proved that the video is true or false.”
Mr Tiwari, who was sworn in as Governor on 22 August, 2007, is a leader from Kumaon and has seen many ups and downs in his political career. He plunged into freedom struggle as a youth and was jailed at the age of 17. He is the only politician in the country who has been Chief Minister of two states — Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.
Mr Tiwari was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh four times and Union minister another four times. His attempt to become Prime Minister after the death of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 was foiled in the power games that were enacted then.
A trusted lieutenant of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, he was expelled from the Congress along with Mr Arjun Singh in 1995 when Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao was ruling. He then launched the All India Indira Congress (Tiwari) but later merged it with the Congress after Mr Sitaram Kesari took the reins of Congress from Mr Narasimha Rao.
Recently, Mr Tiwari came under a cloud after One Ujala Singh alias Ujala Sharma claimed that he had married her and had fathered a son.
The youth had also filed a case in the Delhi High Court claiming that he was the son of Mr Tiwari. Mr Tiwari’s aides had alleged that she was also behind the sex scandal exposed by the television channel.
Latest Comments
Congress president Sonia Gandhi reportedly expressed her displeasure at the scandal in the AP Raj Bhavan which brought lot of disrepute to the party both at the state and national level. The embarrassing episode raises many doubts. The person at the centre of the storm had been occupying the highest seat for the last 2 years and four months in the state. Many top Congress functionaries of the state and centre might have been meeting him off and on on official work. Secretariat, the seat of state administration, is not far away from the Raj Bhavan and many top oficials may also be meeting him for official work frequently. It is strange none could sense anything amiss in Raj Bhavan in the last two years.
Obviously Sonia ends Tiwari's Raj. This is an attention diverting exercise for the citizens of AP.
I do not know how Sonia Gandhi is involved. Why is the media giving her credit for everything? At the recommendation of the Cabinet, the President appoints the Governor. Sonia Gandhi who does not participate in the Cabinet meeting except by media gives super status by projects all right decisions on account of Sonia. Telangana is a big mess but Chidambaram is made the scapegoat. Media is also sold to exclusively party like Congress particularly with a mission to project their family and more so Sonia and Rahul. Media should work independently and fearlessly.
I just can't seem to understand who Sonia Gandhi is. How can she have so much power, she's just a ruling party president. She'z responsible for all the mess in AP, with stupid statements about Telangana, to buy mileage for her son's political career. She is responsible for all the mess and deaths of people in AP during this Telangana movement. She doesn't even know the principles of democracy. So please Sonia, stop haunting India like this.
This is the sign of Mental Slavory Indians are accustomed to despite the so called Indepedance
The legal system in India is a bad joke. N.D. Tiwari can resign but how does that prevent his prosecution? Is the video not good evidence for the police who are also culprits? Experts can easily evaluate videos frame-by-frame and tell whether it was manipulated. Chances are it is an original video. Chances are that policemen and officials, MLAs and MPs are also involved, and this racket goes on and on. When has India punished such offenders, besides a small slap on the wrist? The ongoing Ruchika case is a glaring example. Policemen, MLAs, MPs, CMs, Governors, Judges etc. must be punished brutally. Only then will it set a healthy trend in India, and minimise such crimes.
More from Hyderabad
Post your comment