'I am not quitting but I will challenge the suspension process,' Tiwari said after a 10-minute meeting with the Maharashtra governor K Sankaranarayanan at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.
Under severe pressure from the state government to resign, information commissioner Ramanand Tiwari struck a defiant note on Sunday, stating he would challenge the government’s move seeking his suspension in the court.
Earlier in the day, Tiwari met governor K Sankaranarayanan and pleaded innocent in the Adarsh housing scandal.
“I have not resigned. I will challenge my suspension in the court. The inquiry is on and I am confident the truth will come out soon. I am innocent,” he told reporters after the meeting.
The meeting lasted ten minutes, sources at Raj Bhawan said.
“The governor agreed to an audience as Tiwari wanted to clarify his stand on the Adarsh scandal. Since the governor has initiated the process of his suspension, it was felt that justice should be done by giving him a hearing,” the sources added.
Last week, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had sent a proposal to the governor seeking the suspension of Tiwari. Since he holds a constitutional position, Tiwari’s outright dismissal is not possible.
The information commissioner, however, has dug his heels in. He has neither stopped attending office nor submitted his letter of
resignation.
“On Sunday, when Tiwari met the governor, we felt he would take moral responsibility for the scandal and resign. However, he has hardened his stand,” sources in Mantralaya said.
To ensure that there are no shortcomings in the documents justifying the action against Tiwari, the governor’s office is holding consultations with legal experts.
Sources in Mantralaya said, “In the letter send to the governor, we have cited valid reasons for his suspension.”
The former IAS officer was the principal secretary in the urban development department when the Adarsh file was being processed in various phases and circulated through several departments.
However, Tiwari asserts there was no violation on his part in the Adarsh case. He has always indicated that he is willing to face any inquiry.
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