Has Telangana Governor crossed her limits?

This refers to excellent Bold Talk article "Mutual respect underpins good ties" (9 April) and in essence the quote "give respect and take respect" is need of the hour not only in Telangana but even other states where Governors most of whom were active members of RSS or BJP before being sent to Raj Bhavan. In fact, many of these seem to be so ideologically aligned to their party, they often forget that they hold constitutional posts. Not only in Telangana in most of the non BJP-ruled states, the Governors have crossed their limit and speak like party leaders and on few occasions the Raj Bhavan was turned into a regional office BJP.

We know very well the role Governors played in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra. It is true that the previous dispensation sent a political misfit of their party as Governor and instead of ending it the BJP government turned out more partisan on appointment of government. Of course, it has backfired in the case of Satya Pal Malik who was first sent to J&K, thereafter Goa and now Meghalaya who has been speaking for famers, and Corruption in J&K and Goa. No wonder he was transferred more than once for speaking his mind.

The problem with governors appointed by BJP, in states where BJP is not in power, they speak and act against elected government, the same zeal is missing in BJP ruled states. I am sorry to drag President of India another RSS man from Dalit community, he has rarely spoken on some of the incidents on as first citizen on behalf of citizens of India. He is not even shown his displeasure on various occasions.

As for the standoff between Governor and state government, it was foregone the day an active Tamil Nadu BJP leader was packed off as Governor of Telangana when state BJP was making desperate moves to make inroads when BJP got a second term in 2019.

I think both (THI and yours truly) predicted correctly as BJP indeed got a boost in the state starting with GHMC and governor is now turning "himsai" for the ruling party. It looks like Dr Tamilisai seems to have got dressing down from Modi and Shah for not being more aggressive to needle the state and she has now been forced to change her tone and tenor which would help BJP in the run up to 2023 state assembly elections.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad

TRS leadership is not blame-free

V Ramu Sarma has hit the nail on the head (Bold Talk, 9 Apr) by highlighting the nonchalant and mendacious ripostes by KTR and other TRS leaders in their uncalled for spat with the Governor of Telangana.

Instead of answering the tangible points she made out, the TRS leaders are trying to obfuscate the issue with their highly generalised and politicised statements.

Did KCR call on the Governor and condole with her on her mother's death? Did he or his deputies attend the Ugadi celebrations at Raj Bhavan? Did KCR answer the Governor's call when she wanted to greet him on Ugadi? Did the TRS government invite the Governor to the Yadadri temple's reopening ceremonies?

Eventually, when she later on went there on her own, was she received by the officials concerned? Did they provide her with a helicopter to go to the Sammakka-Sarakka festivities? Simply say, yes or no, without beating about the bush. In fact, it's only the TRS leadership that is highly arrogant and hypocritic on almost every count

U Atreya Sarma, Hyderabad

Governors need to be selected carefully

The writer V Ramu Sarma has rightly said that the office of governor remains a constitutional office only on paper because it is often misused by the Centre. As a result, confrontation between the state and governor is taking place every now and then. There is no iota of doubt that cold war witnessed very they often is due to the machinations of the grand old party of India which first began tampering with and mocking at the conventions, norms and spirit of democracy which is been continued and carried on with impunity by BJP at the centre setting dangerous precedent.

In fact, governors appointed by the President are expected to adopt non-partisan approach in all matters dealt by them, yet sadly governors are interfering into the affairs and politics of state government while discharging their duties and airing their views in public which of late has become a common feature which has angered the chief ministers. This not only led to chief ministers distancing from Governors creating an unhealthy precedent.

Presently, the governors of Maharashtra, West Bengal and Telangana at loggerheads with chief ministers can be termed as classic examples where governors expected to act on the aid and advise of council of ministers in a parliamentary democracy are without sufficient and good reasons have been more or less acting as stooges of centre much to the chagrin of chief ministers.

In this context, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan meeting prime minister to highlight the state committing protocol breach by overlooking her for official programmes while in the same breath chief minister bringing it to notice of public about governor going ahead with programme in the state without consulting the state raises a pertinent bigger question for serious examination as to whether we need the institution of governors at all because governor in most cases appointed are not men of calibre keen on selfless service but to rehabilitate politicians who have been acting only as political predators which is simply unforgivable.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad