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New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear at 3.50 PM today the plea moved by the Punjab government over Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s refusal to summon the budget session of the State Assembly, after Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann addressed an allegedly “derogatory” letter to the Governor.
The matter was mentioned this morning before a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud by Senior Advocate AM Singhvi.
“Governor says since the CM made some statement in some unconnected matter he will convene the session. How can this be done?,” Singhvi submitted.
“When is the session?” Chief Justice Chandrachud queried.
“Friday,” the Court was told.
“We will take this matter up at 3:50 pm today. The Manish Sisodia case will also be taken up at 3: 50 pm,” the CJI informed, in response.
The Punjab government urgently moved the top court for relief after the State’s Governor Banwarilal Purohit refused to summon the budget session of the Punjab legislature, which is slated to be held on March 3, citing the need to get legal advice over a “derogatory letter” addressed to him by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
As per reports, Mann had sent the letter shortly after he tweeted on February 14 that he is not accountable to the Governor and that he is only accountable to the 3 crore Punjabis who had elected him.
The said letter also contained the request to summon the budget session of the Legislative Assembly.
The Governor responded by intimating that he would not be acceding to the request until he gets legal advice on the “patently unconstitutional” and “extremely derogatory” conduct by the Chief Minister.
“Since your tweet and letter both are not only patently unconstitutional but extremely derogatory also, therefore I am compelled to take legal advise on this issue. Only after getting legal advice I will take a decision on your request,” the Governor wrote, the Print reported.
Chief Minister Mann’s tweet and letter followed a letter by the Governor Purohit wherein the Governor questioned the Chief Minister on the selection of school principals for a training trip to Singapore.
The Governor is stated to have written that he had received complaints of “malpractices and illegalities”, as per a report by HT. The same letter also raised questions on several other decisions taken by the Aam Admi Party (AAP) government in Punjab including on the posting of a police commissioner and the non-disbursal of scholarships to Scheduled Caste (SC) students.
The Governor had reportedly asked Mann to reply to this letter in a fortnight, failing which he would be compelled to take legal advice for further action.
The written reply sent by Chief Minister Mann had questioned the basis on which the Governor had held his post.
“You have asked me on what basis the principals selected for training in Singapore. The People of Punjab want to ask, on what basis are the governors in different states selected by the central government in the absence of any specific qualification in the Indian Constitution?” he reportedly wrote.
This letter and Mann’s tweet, in turn, prompted the Governor to refuse summoning the Budget session.
