A day after he demitted office of Maharashtra Governor, K Sankaranarayanan on Monday said he was contemplating resignation for some time and decided to quit when the order came from the "proper person" and that the Congress high command was in agreement with his decision.
Sankaranarayanan also said he did not see his transfer to Mizoram as humiliation. "The order came at 1.30 but I could see it in the morning. Even before the transfer order came from Rashtrapati Bhavan I was thinking to resign. The government and Rashtrapati Bhavan have all powers to transfer Governors. It was not convenient for me to go to Mizoram.
"When the Union Home Secretary telephoned (asking me) to relinquish office, I had said it was not the proper way and let it come from proper person. Now it has come and I decided to resign," Sankaranarayanan, who was among the first batch of UPA-appointed Governors asked to quit after the formation of the NDA government, said.
The 82-year-old veteran Kerala Congress leader said there was no pressure on him to resign between the day he last spoke to Home Secretary Anil Goswami and when the Presidential order transferring him to Mizoram arrived.
Indicating that he has spoken to the Congress high command after receiving the order, Sankaranarayanan said, "They agreed with me."
Asked whether he thought a game of political vendetta was played out in his transfer, he said, "I don't think there was political vendetta. This may be the approach of the present government. Political issues are always there when a new party forms government."
On whether a grievance petition sent to the Home Ministry alleging irregularities in appointments of vice chancellors on which the Law Ministry reportedly suggested action against him could be the reason for the transfer, he said no serious petition in that regard ever came to him.
"Ever since I became the Governor of Maharashtra, I used to appoint search committees chaired by retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Court apart from 2-3 members from the academic side. These search committees called for applications and sent me a short list. I selected the best from the list," he said.
Shankarnarayanan said the Constitution should be honoured while appointing or transferring governors. "Appointment of governors is a constitutional appointment. We have to honour the constitution. Individuals do not matter. The government has all rights to transfer a governor and they are correct," he said.
"Different political parties have their own approaches but that should be within four walls of the constitution. There is a strong Prime Minister with big majority, they will take decisions," he added.
The former governor said he also consulted the Congress high command and even they "agreed" to the decision taken by him.
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