HYDERABAD: “Madam Governor, this is not the way”, reacted Finance Minister T Harish Rao soon after Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan rejected the proposal of the Cabinet to nominate Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana to the Legislative Council.
In a statement here on Monday, Harish said that the decision of the Governor to reject the nominations of Sravan and Satyanarayana was a cause for deep concern. “Both Sravan and Satyanarayana have devoted a decade of their lives to public service, tirelessly working to uplift various sections of society. If such individuals are deemed unsuitable for the role of MLCs in Telangana, it raises questions about the criteria for appointing Governors,” Harish said in his statement.
“The unique situation of Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who was the president of the Tamil Nadu state BJP and now serves as Governor in Telangana, deserves examination. Should a person who was the president of a political party hold the position of a State Governor? Looking at precedents, such as the nomination of individuals like Ghulam Ali Khattana as Rajya Sabha member by the President, suggests that there may be exceptions, “ he said.
“Can individuals associated with the BJP, such as Mahesh Jathmalani, Sonal Mansingh, Ram Shakal, Rakesh Sinha, Jitendra Prasada, Gopal Arjun Burgees, Choudhary Virendra Singh, Rajnikanth Maheshwari and Saket Mishra simultaneously serve as Governors and Rajya Sabha members? Does this establish a different protocol for States where the BJP is in power?” Harish wondered.
“The situation in Uttar Pradesh, where individuals like Jitin Prasada, Gopal Arjun Burgees, Choudhary Virendra Singh, Rajnikanth Maheshwari, Saket Mishra, and Hansraj Vishwakarma were appointed as Governors, suggests that this is indeed possible,” he remarked. “Does this imply that the BJP follows a distinct policy for the Central government and other States?” he wondered.