Nitin Gadkari on Governor issue: NDA merely following tradition set by UPA

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday described the Union Government nudging UPA-appointed governors to resign from their posts as a tradition started by the previous UPA regime.

"When the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government had gone, then, at that time, the UPA Government had also asked the governors to resign. Since the governors work as representatives of the government, hence, this process will serve us better, as the new government has been elected," he said. There has been a row over a move to remove seven UPA appointed governors since the BJP assumed power from May 26.

Uttar Pradesh Governor, BL Joshi was the first to resign from his post, and was followed by the Governor of Chhattisgarh Shekhar Dutt who has also resigned from his post although the latter's name did not feature in the list to be removed.

After Uttar Pradesh's Governor BL Joshi, Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt resigns
Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt has resigned from his post today. Dutt's resingation comes two days after Uttar Pradesh Governor BL Joshi put in his papers on June 17, following controversy over central government's consideration to replace seven governors, who were appointed during Congress led UPA-II tenure, before their term comes to an end. Read more

ALSO READ: Tit for tat? NDA governors UPA sacked; the UPA governors NDA wants to sack
As brutal as it may seem, this action isn't very different from what the Congress-led UPA had undertaken when they came to power in 2004, replacing the NDA government. The UPA, too, had asked for Governors to be removed ahead of their term. Read more