CM Bhagwant Mann of Punjab vs Governor Banwarilal Purohit: The Battle Goes On

The prolonged conflict between State Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann seems to have no end in sight. The two have been at odds for the last three months on a number of subjects, and their fights have all taken place in the open, including via letters, tweets, media bites, and the use of unparliamentary language. Both parties have been blaming the other for “not carrying out constitutional duties.”

Recently, the governor claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration was violating the Constitution and ignoring his letters. “Not even a single reply to my 10 letters has been given, they (the government) are acting against the Constitution,” said Purohit, reminding Mann of the recent ruling the Supreme Court had made. He said that the Supreme Court had explicitly indicated that the Chief Minister’s answers to the Governor’s questions were “101 percent obligatory.” Every time I asked the Chief Minister for information, he would reply that he only had to answer to the three crore Punjabis, Purohit said.

The governor and chief minister disagree on a number of issues, including when to call Assembly sessions, how the state’s affairs should be run, who should be appointed to different institutions, such as universities, and whether the governor should refer to the government in the House as “my government.”

In order to get the Governor to carry out the state cabinet’s decision to convene for the Budget session despite the Governor’s reluctance, the Punjab administration had to take the Governor to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court further instructed both parties to engage in constitutional debate with “decency and mature statesmanship.”

The SC pointed out that both the Governor and the Chief Minister had violated their constitutional duties, despite the fact that they are both constitutional officials with clear functions and responsibilities established by the Constitution.

The court noted that failing to provide the information requested by the governor would be a breach of the chief minister’s constitutional duties and would free the governor from his need to call a budget session. Regarding the Governor, the court ruled that since he was obligated to follow ministers’ guidance and counsel, the Punjab Governor had no need to consult a lawyer before calling a budget session. Prior to this, the governor had said that he was not in a rush to call the Assembly’s Budget session, arguing that the Chief Minister was required to respond to the letters sent by the Raj Bhawan.

One of the letters discussed the decision to invite 36 principals of public schools to Singapore for a training conference. Though Mann eventually responded to the letter, the governor insisted that it was “patently unconstitutional and extremely derogatory” and that Mann should not have responded. He expressed a threat to file a lawsuit.

Mann posted on social media saying he was solely responsible to the three crore Punjabis and not the Governor.

There was yet more to the story. In a news conference, the governor accused the AAP government of corruption, failing to combat the drug cartel, and failing to maintain law and order in the state, notably in the prisons, which had become hubs for criminals to plot and carry out their crimes.

Lal Chand Kataruchak is a cabinet minister who has come under fire from Purohit, who has requested Mann to dismiss him in light of the charges made against him due to sexual misbehavior.

A furious governor said a week ago that he would no longer use the state aircraft in light of Mann’s derogatory comments about him in the state parliament on his usage of the state government helicopter to fly to the border area.

Bills enacted by the state Assembly, such as the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, providing free worship in Sikh institutions, will be the next point of conflict between the Chief Minister and Governor.

broadcast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the proposal to make the Chief Minister the chancellor of state-run universities instead of the Governor.