Governor’s address: New protocol back in focus again
LUCKNOW As the Vidhan Sabha prepares for the governor’s address before the joint sitting of state legislature here on May 15, the new protocol requiring playing of national anthem when the governor reaches there is back in focus again.
Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha had refused to follow the new protocol when governor Ram Naik had reached to address the joint sitting of the state legislature on January 29, 2016.
An upset Naik had then written to the President about the decision to deny him the new protocol and decided to raise the issue at the governors’ conference held in February 2016. The President had approved the new protocol formulated at Naik’s behest for all the governors.
Now that a new regime is at the helms, will the business advisory committee of the Vidhan Sabha reconsider the issue of according the governor the new protocol? “Speaker Hridya Narain Dixit has to take a call on the issue in coming days,” say sources.
The new protocol also provides for proposing a vote of thanks and playing of national anthem again when the governor leaves the Vidhan Sabha Hall.
A revisit on new protocol may be considered for uniformity. Two different protocols were followed when the governor left Raj Bhawan and when he reached the Vidhan Bhawan in a procession on June 29, 2016. At Raj Bhawan Naik was given a guard of honour as per the provisions of new protocol when he left for the Vidhan Bhawan to address joint sitting of both houses of the state legislature. At the Vidhan Bhawan, he was received as per the provisions of the old protocol.
Under the old protocol the governor begins reading out his address after reaching his chair in the Vidhan Sabha hall. Often the governor is able to read only first and last lines of his address in view of interruptions caused by the opposition.
is felt that the playing of national anthem at the time of governor’s arrival and departure would help in disciplining members at least for some time in the Vidhan Sabha hall.
Following the new protocol would also bring uniformity in the procedure in the Raj Bhawans and at the time of governor’s address before the legislature.
The new protocol requires the governor’s spouse to leave the Raj Bhawan in advance. It provides for a national salute to governor at entrance of state legislature.
It speaks about the procession in which governor has to be taken to the legislature and when he leaves after delivering his address there.