Storm in T cup as guv asserts herself

Storm in T cup as guv asserts herself

Koride.Mahesh@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: 21.06.2020

Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s recent statements on the handling of Covid-19 cases and testing have not gone down well with the state government even as it battles the coronavirus cases.

Sources in the government said chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was unhappy with the governor on two counts — for reviewing and commenting on Covid-19 cases and indirectly giving ammo to the opposition BJP and Congress to target his government.

Though the government has not made known its displeasure, the CM is believed to have discussed the issue with some of his ministers and top officials.

The government is particularly ruffled over Soundararajan holding meetings on key subjects like education and health without informing its officials. “Visiting hospitals, encouraging doctors and health fraternity is not wrong. But, she made some remarks at the way the government was handling the pandemic, which should have been avoided. This is nothing but criticising the government and providing moral support to the opposition parties,” a senior CMO official said.

Before being appointed as governor, Soundararajan was the Tamil Nadu BJP chief.

The governor had recently visited Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) to talk to doctors and health workers and applaud their work. She had even thought of visiting the nodal Gandhi Hospital but changed her mind on the advice of doctors.

The governor had earlier interacted with senior health officials on the ongoing lockdown measures and Covid-19 cases.

CM KCR & Guv Tamilisai

ONE-UPMANSHIP?

CMO official: Guv cannot criticise own government

The governor even had reportedly sought information on Covid tests being done, but the government did not respond. Last week, Soundararajan had again interacted with Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) director Dr Rakesh Mishra and experts on Covid-19 cases and tests.

“The governor cannot criticise her own government. Her role is advisory. Whenever she wants to interact with officials, she should inform the government which is a convention. But, this is being violated now,” a top CMO official said. In the last one month, the governor had interacted with vice-chancellors and educationists of various universities in her capacity as a chancellor. But what upset the government was her instructions to the VCs on conducting the examinations which, officials feel, is the prerogative of the government.

Sources recalled that a professor of Telangana State Agriculture University had met the governor a few months ago upon her request and submitted a report on higher education with a road map on streamlining it. “Soon after, the university (read government) shunted him out to a college in Khammam’s Ashwaraopet. The government did not take kindly to the professor meeting the governor,” sources said. Ever since Soundararajan was sworn in as a governor in September 2019, the government has been wary of her actions as she had functioned as Tamil Nadu BJP president before occupying the gubernatorial post at the Raj Bhavan. CMO officials also recalled that Soundararajan had expressed a desire to conduct a ‘janata darbar’ at Raj Bhavan which, however, has not taken off. “She liberally gives appointments to opposition leaders. BJP and Congress have met her at least 20 times in the last few months,” a senior functionary of the government said.