Ruchika M Khanna
Chandigarh, December 14
Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit ridiculed Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for writing him a letter regarding the repatriation of UT Senior Superintendent of Police, Kuldeep Chahal, indicating that the CM was not apprised of the issue by his top officers.
The Governor has said he had himself told the Punjab Chief Secretary of the proposed repatriation of Chahal on November 28, almost a fortnight before the officer was given his marching orders. In a second salvo fired at the Punjab Chief Minister, almost immediately after sending his reply, the Governor has also raised the issue of rape of a woman by the now arrested AIG Ashish Kapoor and asked Mann to urgently look into the matter.
This is not the first time that the Punjab Governor and Chief Minister have had a run-in over issues related to governance. From the selection of Vice-Chancellors of two state-run universities to calling of a special Assembly session, and returning the ordinances okayed by the Punjab Cabinet, asking them to formulate laws in the Assembly—the feud between the two sides has been simmering since the beginning of the AAP government tenure. Though a thaw in their relations was worked out in November, it does not seem to have sustained.
Kuldeep Chahal was repatriated by the UT Administration on Monday evening. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had written a letter to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the UT Administrator-cum-Punjab Governor, saying the appointment of a Haryana cadre IPS officer on the post was violative of the laid precedence, wherein the post of SSP is given to a Punjab cadre officer.
In reply to the CM’s letter, Punjab Governor has said, “The contents of the letter demonstrate that due care has not been taken to ascertain the facts while writing the said letter and dispatching it. Had that care been taken, then such a letter could not have been written at, in the first place and it must be noted”. The Governor has said in no unclear terms that Chahal has been repatriated following inputs of his serious misconduct, which have been authenticated from “reliable sources”.
The Governor has specified the date and time when he had telephonically communicated with the Chief Secretary (CS) about his decision to remove the SSP, and advised the CS to send “a panel of efficient IPS officers”. He has said that even DGP Chandigarh Praveer Rajan had apprised Punjab CS about the case on November 30. The same day the Advisor to UT Administrator had also spoken to the CS and the latter had called on the Governor the same day, and was again told of the repatriation. Punjab CM in his letter to the Governor yesterday, had said that the state was not asked to send a panel of officers for consideration for the post of SSP.
To rub in the absence of CM from the state for campaigning in Gujarat, he has further said, “Since during this period you were busy, campaigning in Gujarat assembly poll, it was not possible for me to contact you. You also raised unnecessary issue of Punjab V/s Haryana in this connection which is not applicable in this case of Adhoc appointment, for a very short period i.e. for a week or two. I wish you should have considered these aspects before writing a letter to me,” he said.
Look into AIG Ashish Kapoor case: Guv asks CM Mann
In the second letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Guv Purohit has asked the former to personally look into the case of custodial rape and extortion of a woman by AIG Ashish Kapoor, who is now under arrest. He has said that members of Anti-Corruption Front Punjab have approached him, seeking reinvestigation in the matter by Police Complaints Authority. “The issue is very serious and needs to be looked into by you, personally, so that the truth comes to light, justice be done and guilty be punished to maintain law and order in the State,” he has written. The letter seems to be an attempt to tell the CM to focus on the developments in his state. The Governor has earlier too been critical of the poor law and order and also the inability of the government to deal with cross border smuggling of arms.
Punjab to send panel today
Punjab government will be sending a panel of three IPS officers tonight for consideration for the post of SSP Chandigarh.
