Mind-boggling events have lately taken place in Arunachal Pradesh, the state which borders China and which our northern neighbour does not recognise as being part of India. As such, the political system, as well as the constitutional well-being of the state, should have been uppermost in the minds of those holding responsible positions. Alas, this seems not to have been the case and instability has been permitted to become endemic, with the Centre too not giving evidence of being watchful. Governor J.P. Rajkhowa, a retired bureaucrat who seems to be less than appreciative of the sensitivity and non-partisan character of his position, was, in effect, ticked off by the Gauhati high court on Thursday. Carried away by political currents, the governor had permitted disgruntled MLAs of the ruling party, the Congress, in cahoots with BJP MLAs, to hold a so-called session of the state Assembly at a community centre in Itanagar and duly proceed to dethrone the Speaker, no less, after bringing a so-called vote of no-confidence.
The unusual session of the “Assembly” was called in a rush because the governor permitted himself to be persuaded by the government’s opponents to advance the notified date for the opening of the Winter Session of the legislature for the convenience of the government’s opponents. It is difficult to think of anything more absurd or dubious. A single-judge bench of the high court has quite rightly held these so-called decisions of the “Assembly” in abeyance and posted the matter for later. These are Kafkaesque goings-on, strange to the annals of gubernatorial conduct. It is a pity the Centre has chosen not to see things that way. When Parliament was thrown out of gear on Thursday on account of developments in the border state, parliamentary affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu appeared to give the impression that the governor had acted within his constitutional rights.
If only to help clarify matters so that no one in the border state gets to harbour any funny ideas, perhaps it is time President Pranab Mukherjee asked the Centre for a detailed briefing. It is also time for the Governor to receive a warning to conduct himself in a more becoming manner. Any efforts to destabilise an elected government cannot be tolerated. The message has to be clear. The Congress, too, has failed to keep its house in order. Dissatisfaction with Chief Minister Nabam Tuki appears to have become a regular feature among the ruling party’s MLAs. Mr Tuki needs to manage intra-party affairs very differently from the way he has done.
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