Ranchi, Oct 28 (PTI) Two days after Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais said that that he sought a “second opinion” in the office-of-profit case involving Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the ruling JMM said that the state’s constitutional head had been making “confusing statements” in the matter.
Rajya Sabha MP and JMM spokesperson Mahua Maji also said that Bais, as a governor, should maintain a stance that was above party and politics.
Bais had on Wednesday said that he has asked for a second opinion to avoid getting fingers pointed at him, but did not clarify who did he seek it from.
He also claimed that an “atom bomb could explode any time in Jharkhand”, apparently indicating towards the pending decision in the matter.
Maji, talking to PTI, said, “The governor is the constitutional head; his post is highly revered. It is above party or politics. Therefore statements should also be made in line with constitutional norms.” The ruling BJP had been demanding dismissal of Soren in the office-of-profit case.
The issue was referred to the governor and by him to the Election Commission, as Article 192 of the Constitution states that on rulings regarding an MLA’s disqualification, the question shall be referred to the governor who in turn “shall obtain the opinion of the Election Commission and shall act according to such opinion”.
Though the EC’s opinion has not yet been made official, sources in Raj Bhavan said the poll panel has recommended the CM’s disqualification as an MLA.
“The EC’s letter of recommendation arrived long back…A UPA delegation had gone to meet the governor, requesting him to make public the poll panel’s opinion. The CM, too, visited him. Media persons from across country were camping here then. But nothing was revealed,” the JMM leader recalled.
Maji said the statement made by Bais on Wednesday “added to the confusion”.
“Earlier the governor had claimed the envelope (by Election Commission) was too tight to open, and now this… We respect the governor, his reply should come in a constitutional manner. People get confused with such remarks. Such remarks should not be made in democracy,” she added.
Meanwhile, Raj Bhavan sources said there was no fresh development in the matter.
The Soren government has last month won the confidence vote in the Assembly by a comfortable margin amid apprehension that MLAs of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Congress would be poached to bring down the JMM-led regime in the state.
Lawmakers of the opposition BJP-led NDA had staged a walkout.
Bais, on being asked about accusations of him acting with vendetta to destabilise the Jharkhand government, had said in Raipur on Wednesday, “Look, if my intention was that, I could have taken a decision based on the recommendation of the Election Commission. But I didn’t want to take any action to defame anyone or with an intention of vendetta.” “I am holding a constitutional post and I have to protect the Constitution. No one should point fingers at me saying I have acted out of revenge, therefore I have asked for a second opinion,” the governor told a news channel.
He, however, did not elaborate on the EC’s recommendation. PTI NAM RMS RMS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.