NEW DELHI: Governors should work independently and free of politics, said Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik. Referring to the tussle between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Malik, in an interview with this newspaper, said that both the governor and the state should work in harmony. “Governors should be impartial and do the right thing, come what may,” said Malik.
The Kerala government and Governor were at loggerheads over issues such as Khan’s statement on alleged nepotism in appointments in the state universities and over two bills –University Laws Amendment Bill and the Lok Pal Bill, which was passed by the Assembly recently. While the CM accuses the Governor of infringing on the affairs of the executive, the Governor claims that the government is trying to curtail his powers. The sparring between the two sides has also sparked debates on the wider legal, constitutional and political implications.
“In this dispute, the constitutional position will prevail. If the governor is right, his stand will prevail or if the CM is correct in his position, he will win,” said Malik. The Meghalaya Governor also said that unfortunately, some Governors have misused the position and have become party to horse trading and toppling of state governments. “Recently, in some states, governors have colluded with the BJP to topple state governments. That’s wrong on their part,” said Malik.
Malik, whose term will end in two weeks, said that he has never faced any pressure from the Centre to act in their favour against state governments. On several occasions, Malik was in the eye of a storm for his criticism against the BJP government. He has held governor posts in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir and Goa before taking charge in Meghalaya. “During my stint in Goa, I refused to keep quiet on the corrupt practices of the Pramod Savant government. Though I informed the Central government, no action has been taken against him and finally, I was transferred to Meghalaya,” he said.