Patna, Feb. 28: The cold war between the government and Raj Bhavan was echoed inside the Assembly today when BJP MLA Amrendra Pratap Singh questioned the power of Governor Devanand Konwar to withhold the Bihar University and Patna University Amendment Bills, 2010.

The state legislative houses passed both the bills.

Singh raised the issue in the Assembly and said the Bihar University and Patna University Amendment Billhad been passed by both the Houses on March 20, 2010, but it has remained with the Governor’s secretariat ever since.

He said almost a year has passed since both the bills were passed in the Houses but Raj Bhavan has neither accepted the bill nor rejected it.

The state government and Raj Bhavan is also witnessing a tussle over selection of new vice-chancellors in the universities of the state and human resource development (HRD) minister P.K. Shahi has gone public on his frustration over the inability of the Raj Bhavan to give him time to discuss the issue.

The BJP MLA said: “Withholding of the bills is against the prestige of the House. Whether it is a financial bill or not, is the sole discretion of the Speaker and withholding the bills by the Governor’s secretariat is a matter of concern for the parliamentary system.”

The HRD minister said it is the constitutional power of the governor to withhold the bill and the Speaker’s secretariat has received a letter on August 8, 2010, from the governor secretariat that the bill is a money bill and there is a possibility of money transaction, therefore he is withholding the same.