Punjab CM thinks he is an uncrowned king, but he has to abide by the Constitution: Governor Purohit Premium

Governor Banwarilal Purohit asserts CM Bhagwant Mann doesn't know Constitution & believes he's uncrowned king. Purohit says if State was being governed as per Constitution & corruption-free, there'd be no problem. He adds CM not giving proper reply to queries about corruption & anomalies, indicating something 'hanky panky'. Purohit feels attempt to pass buck by suspending IAS officers for 'technically flawed' decision to dissolve Panchayats. He says CM signed decision, making him equally a party to it & his crime not less than those punished.

Over the last one and a half years, since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in Punjab, the tiff between Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been evident. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, the Governor claimed that the problem was that the Punjab Chief Minister “does not know the Constitution... and believes that he is the uncrowned king of the State and can do whatever he likes”. Accusing the CM of not giving proper responses to his queries about corruption and various anomalies in governance, the Governor said this indicated that “something hanky panky” seemed to be taking place. If the situation continued, he warned that he could invoke Article 356, which provides for President’s Rule.

Edited excerpts from the interview: