After complaint to PM, Meghalaya governor resigns
EMPLOYEES TERMED HIM ‘RUDE, ARROGANT AND UNTRUTHFUL’ AND REQUESTED PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI TO REMOVE HIM
SHILLONG: Meghalaya governor V Shanmuganathan resigned on Thursday night after a section of Raj Bhavan employees demanded his removal for “seriously compromising” the dignity of the gubernatorial office.
“I got a one-line confirmation from Itanagar that the governor has resigned. There are no more details,” secretary to the governor, HM Sangpliang, told HT. Chief minister Mukul Sangma had said earlier in the day that he was waiting for PM Narendra Modi and the home ministry to take a call.Nearly 100 Raj Bhavan staff here petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee, the PM and Union home minister Rajnath Singh, seeking their intervention to remove the governor and restore the dignity of Raj Bhavan.
The employees alleged that Shanmuganathan had “seriously compromised the dignity of the Raj Bhavan and made it a young ladies club”. “It has become a place where young ladies come and go at will on direct orders of the Governor... Many of them have direct access to his bedroom,” the letter said.
The employees also termed Shanmuganathan “rude, arrogant, temperamental and untruthful” and requested the Prime Minister to remove him to “restore the dignity of Raj Bhavan”.
The letter accused the governor of lying, removing senior staffers at Raj Bhavan without any valid reasons and insulting and humiliating a former deputy secretary who suffered a stroke and then died.
It could not be ascertained if the official’s death was in any way connected to his alleged humiliation.
Hindustan Times has a copy of the letter, but its authenticity could not be verified.
“I can confirm that such a letter has been sent by some employees of Raj Bhavan. But I am not aware of its exact contents,” A Lakiang, under secretary to the governor, said.
Shanmuganathan, who took over as the governor of Meghalaya in May 2015, on Thursday attended a Republic Day celebration in Arunachal Pradesh, whose additional charge he holds since November last year following the removal of Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa.
Women activists had begun a signature campaign here, seeking Shanmuganathan’s removal. The campaign, spearheaded by women-led Civil Society Women Organisation (CSWO) and Thma u Rangli (TUR), was launched following reports of inappropriate behaviour by the governor.
Allegations of molestation were recently levelled against him by a job aspirant who was called along with six others to the Raj Bhavan last month for interviews to fill up the post of public relations officer.
A news report in local papers had quoted the victim who accused the governor of “inappropriate advances” and “unprofessional and unfriendly behavior” during the interview.