Arunachal Pradesh governor Jyoti Rajkhowa acted like BJP agent, RSS pracharak: Tarun Gogoi

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today accused Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa of acting like a " BJP agent and RSS pracharak" during the political crisis in the hill state.

"J P Rajkhowa behaved like a stooge. He acted like an agent of BJP and a RSS pracharak. He has lowered the dignity and respect of the Governor's office. He has turned the Raj Bhawan into a RSS office," Gogoi alleged at a press conference here.

The Chief Minister said Rajkhowa should have behaved as the Constitutional Head of the neighbouring state by following the rules only.

"He (Rajkhowa) was a Chief Secretary. It is not like that he does not know the rules. He knows the rules. He should have followed the rules as per the Constitution," Gogoi said.

The Assam Chief Minister also accused the BJP of trying to "topple an elected government by money power".

"They (BJP) tried to do that in Assam also and that is why they took Himanta Biswa Sarma. But they failed to do it here... They are trying to do it in many states," he added.

Gogoi also alleged that Assam Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya tried to "instigate NGOs" against the state government in implementation of the schemes.

He, however, did not elaborate on the allegation.

Rajkhowa, who was the Chief Secretary of Assam, had advanced the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly session to December 16 from January 14 next year, after which the Speaker and Chief Minister were "voted out" and a new CM "elected" in a makeshift premises.

The Gauhati High Court, however, came down heavily on Rajkhowa saying he was required to perform his duty with the aid of the Council of Ministers, but his action of preponing the Assembly session on the demand of opposition MLAs "taints" the decision and renders it "unworthy of the state's constitutional head".

Expressing "extreme surprise", Rajkohwa immediately decided to appeal against the Gauhati High Court order staying his notification advancing the session of the state Assembly, leading to the political crisis in the state.