BJP fights to keep its Governors

The UPA Government’s move to send governors with ‘‘BJP background’’ packing is set to snowball into a major controversy. Leaders of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today and demanded that the Government adhere to the precedent set by them of retaining governors appointed by their predecessors.

Those who face the axe are Vishnukant Shastri (Uttar Pradesh), Kailashpati Mishra (Gujarat), Madan Lal Khurana (Rajasthan), Parmanand (Haryana) and Kedar Nath Sahni (Goa), all known for their strong BJP-RSS roots. The move, initiated by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, follows his one-hour meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday.

BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Advani and Jaswant Singh objected to the manner in which governors with BJP-background are being pressurised to put in their papers. They reminded the Prime Minister that the previous NDA Government had not sacked any governor with Congress or any other ‘‘background’’ and his Government should respect this precedent. ‘‘He (Manmohan Singh) heard them…hope, he will take appropriate steps and uphold the tradition set by us,’’ Naqvi said.