PCC president Ripun Bora speaks in Guwahati on Sunday. Picture by UB Photos
Guwahati, Oct. 1: Assam PCC president Ripun Bora today said the BJP has diminished the sanctity of the governor's post by transferring them.
'A governor is the constitutional head of a state. But now the BJP-led central government is transferring them from one state to another like bureaucrats. This is disrespect. One governor should remain in one state for a stipulated tenure of five years. In case of a special condition, transferring a governor is a different thing. But now Prime Minister Narendra Modi is transferring them without any reason,' Bora said.
Jagdish Mukhi, a BJP veteran, was appointed the new governor of Assam yesterday by President Ram Nath Kovind. Banwarilal Purohit was shifted as governor of Tamil Nadu.
Criticising the BJP for transferring Purohit who was appointed the governor of Assam in August 2016, Bora said: 'During the Congress rule, the BJP said transferring a governor violates the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission and damaging the Centre-state relationship. But now the BJP itself has violated the norms by transferring governors according to its whims.'
The Sarkaria Commission was set up in June 1983 by the Centre. Its charter was to examine the relationship and balance of power between states and central governments and suggest changes within the framework of the Constitution. The commission was so named as it was headed by Justice Ranjit Singh Sarkaria, a retired judge of the Supreme Court.
Bora also reacted to yesterday's incident when 48-year-old Bhabakanta Barua, a teacher, committed suicide at his home in Mathurapur, Charaideo district. His family alleged he had killed himself as he could not bear the stress of organising Gunotsav, an assessment drive for students and teachers, in his school.
Barua was a teacher of 959 no. Mathurapur Krishipam lower primary school.
Condoling his death, Bora said: 'The death of Barua has proved that only organising Gunotsav will not develop the state's education system. There is a huge lack of infrastructure in many schools of the state. In their two-year tenure, the BJP could not provide free uniforms to students that was earlier provided by the erstwhile Congress government. The midday meal programme has also been disrupted and many schools till now are being run by a single teacher.'
Dubbing Gunotsav an RSS concept, Bora alleged that education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma believes in 'gimmicks' though there is absence of infrastructure.
'Suicide of a teacher because of Guntosav-related stress is unfortunate. Till now, three teachers have committed suicide in the state because of this, but the state government has not paid any attention.'
Welcoming former finance minister Yashwant Sinha's criticism of financial reforms by the Modi government, Bora said: 'Yashwant Sinha did his duty for the nation. Many BJP veterans have started raising voices against the misdeeds of the Modi government. Sinha has vast knowledge on economics. So he has clearly seen the loopholes in the economic policy of the current government.'
Sinha, in an article written for a national daily on September 27, had criticised the financial reform policy of the Modi government. Sinha wrote: 'The economy is on a downward spiral and is poised for a hard landing. Many in the BJP know it, but they do not say it out of fear.'