Chandigarh: In a recent spherical of letters exchanged between the Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the previous has raised questions concerning the authorized validity of a two-day particular session of the Vidhan Sabha known as by the Mann authorities final month.
In response to a letter despatched by Mann Saturday asking the governor to provide his assent to a invoice handed by the meeting concerning the telecast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple, Purohit wrote again Monday saying that in accordance with the authorized recommendation he had acquired, the Vidhan Sabha session of 19 and 20 June have been in “in breach of legislation and process”.
“I as governor am enjoined by the structure of India to make sure that the payments are handed in accordance with legislation. So as to discharge my obligation carefully I’ve proceeded to obtain authorized recommendation which supplies me to imagine that your calling of the Vidhan Sabha session on June nineteenth and twentieth, when these 4 payments have been handed, was in breach of legislation and process thereby casting doubt on the legitimacy and legality of these payments,” wrote the governor.
The Mann authorities had, through the particular session of the Vidhan Sabha, handed 4 payments, together with a controversial modification to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. The transfer, in accordance with Mann, was geared toward ending the monopoly of a single channel in telecasting the Gurbani (the sacred hymns) from the Golden Temple.
The Act was sought to be amended with the addition of a provision that allowed a number of channels and media to entry the Gurbani from the Golden Temple. The invoice was subsequently despatched to the governor for his signature.
Reacting to the governor’s Monday letter, Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP) spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang tweeted that the Punjab governor had confirmed himself to be an “agent of the Centre”.
By unconstitutionally referring the payments to the President, Governor Purohit reveals his true colours as an agent of the middle. His actions not solely undermine the authority of the state meeting but in addition expose a sinister agenda to suppress the voices of the folks.
Governor… pic.twitter.com/53d3flwSTt
— Malvinder Singh Kang (@KangMalvinder) July 17, 2023
In the meantime, the SGPC expressed satisfaction with the reply despatched by the Governor to the CM.
In an announcement issued in Amritsar Monday night on social media, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami mentioned that the governor was the constitutional head of the state and had accomplished the proper factor. Dhami hoped that the governor would take selections in accordance with the legislation sooner or later as properly, in order that the feelings of the individuals are represented.
ਰਾਜਪਾਲ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਭੇਜੇ ਜਵਾਬ ‘ਤੇ ਐਡੋਵਕੇਟ ਧਾਮੀ ਨੇ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਾਈ ਤਸੱਲੀ
Harjinder Singh Dhami categorical satisfaction with reply despatched by Governor to Punjab authorities
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ-
ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਐਡਵੋਕੇਟ ਹਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਾਮੀ ਨੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਰਾਜਪਾਲ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਬਨਵਾਰੀ ਲਾਲ… pic.twitter.com/jLozqUaRN4— Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (@SGPCAmritsar) July 17, 2023
Dhami added that chief minister Bhagwant Mann ought to take a lesson from the reply despatched by Governor Punjab and may keep away from unconstitutional and arbitrary selections sooner or later.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which is managing the historic Sikh gurdwaras in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, has rejected the passing of the invoice by the meeting.
Final week, the physique had introduced that they’d begin the dwell relay of the Gurbani from the Golden temple on SGPC’s personal YouTube channel and likewise launch their very own TV channel within the coming months.
Additionally learn: After Bhagwant Mann’s ‘love letters’ jibe, Punjab governor says govt has change into ‘laughing inventory’
The letter struggle
Seemingly prompted by SGPC’s transfer, Mann wrote to the governor Saturday urging him to signal the invoice on the earliest.
ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਟੈਲੀਕਾਸਟ ਨੂੰ ਦੁਬਾਰਾ ਫਿਰ ਬਾਦਲ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਦੀ ਕੰਪਨੀ ਦੇ ਖਾਸ ਬੰਦਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਥਾਂ ਚ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾਣ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ.. pic.twitter.com/JiuhkzMOzJ
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) July 15, 2023
“As you’re conscious, one explicit channel owned by a political household has monopolized telecast of Sarab Sanjhi Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib and has been making income from it (sic),” wrote Mann.
The CM was referring to the Badal household that owns the PTC channel that has been relaying the Gurbani from the Golden Temple. The contract between the SGPC and PTC is coming to an finish on 23 July.
“So as to propagate the teachings of the Holy Gurus and with the intention to make telecast of Sarab Sanjhi Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib freely accessible to all, the Sikh Gurdwaras (Modification) Invoice 2023 for inserting Part 125-A within the Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925 was launched in Vidhan Sabha. Vidhan Sabha thought of this invoice and handed it with overwhelming majority,” added Mann’s letter.
“This Invoice was despatched to you for signatures on 26 June 2023. Nonetheless, it’s regretted that the Invoice has not been signed until date. This quantities to stifling the democratic will of the folks of Punjab,” he wrote. “I might additionally wish to deliver to your discover that as per our info, the settlement of SGPC with the mentioned channel expires on twenty third July, 2023. In case you don’t signal the Invoice instantly, it might result in a scenario the place tens of millions of devotees internationally are disadvantaged of watching the dwell telecast of Holy Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib. It will severely damage their spiritual sentiments.”
“Therefore I urge upon you to signal the invoice on the earliest, in order that the telecast of Sarab Sanjhi Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib will be made freely accessible to all by way of numerous channels and media,” concluded Mann.
In his reply Monday, the governor shot again that the CM, by his personal assertions, appeared “involved with sure actions of a political household”.
“You might have additionally identified what you understand because the doable fallout of any delay on my half in signing the invoice instantly. You might have additionally thought it match to explain the time taken by me as one thing that quantities to stifling the democratic will of the folks of Punjab,” wrote the governor within the letter. “I don’t want to be a part of phrases with you in what seems to be a matter of your non-public notion.”
“Within the background of the authorized recommendation acquired, I’m actively contemplating whether or not to acquire the authorized opinion from the Legal professional Normal of India or as per the structure to order these payments for the consideration of the President of India,” wrote Purohit.
“As chief minister you’ll respect that the folks of Punjab are equally involved with making certain that the legal guidelines which in the end have an effect on them are handed after following due process. You be relaxation assured that I shall take motion in accordance with legislation after the legality of the Vidhan Sabha session of June 19 and twentieth is first examined,” concluded the governor.
Different payments handed
Other than the invoice amending the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, the Vidhan Sabha, through the particular session, additionally handed the Punjab College Legal guidelines (Modification) Invoice, 2023, that divested the governor of his ex-officio place as chancellor of state universities and handed over the powers of the chancellor to the CM.
Appointment of vice-chancellors to state universities has been a long-standing bone of competition between the chief minister and the governor with the latter alleging that the state authorities will not be following due course of in appointing vice-chancellors to state universities.
One other invoice handed on the day was the Punjab Police (Modification) Invoice, 2023, to empower the state authorities to observe its personal course of to pick out a director basic of police (head of the police power). At the moment, each state authorities throughout the nation, together with Punjab, is certain by the suggestions of the Union Public Service Fee (UPSC) within the appointment of the DGP.
The meeting additionally handed an modification to Punjab Affiliated Schools (safety of service) Act, 1974, to streamline the working of the Punjab Academic Tribunal, a physique created underneath the act to resolve service disputes in affiliated faculties.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Additionally Learn: In tussle with SGPC over Golden Temple gurbani, Mann govt to amend legislation, finish broadcast monopoly