President Mukherjee sacks Arunachal Pradesh Governor Rajkhowa

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday removed the Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa after he had refused to step down from his post.

The Governor of Meghalaya V Shanmuganathan has been given the additional charge, said a Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué.

What was in the President’s order?

• Pranab Mukherjee directed that Rajkhowa shall cease to hold the office of Arunachal Pradesh Governor.
• President appointed V Shanmuganathan, the Governor of Meghalaya, to discharge the additional functions of the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.

What is the case?

• During the rule of National Democratic Alliance government, Rajkhowa was appointed as the Governor of the state.
• The former chief secretary of Assam, Rajkhowa had made headlines after he decided to prepone the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly session from January 14, 2016 to December 16, 2015.
• The move was aimed to conduct a floor test of the then Naabam Tuki government.
• The Congress government, however, had resisted holding the Assembly session.
• Supreme Court in July 2016 ordered the restoration of Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The court then suggested that Governor cannot interfere in the activities of the assembly.