Chandigarh: Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit Tuesday asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to remove Satbir Singh Gosal as the vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, dubbing his appointment "totally illegal", in a fresh flashpoint between Raj Bhavan and the AAP government.
Slamming Purohit's missive, state Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the governor should apologise to the people of Punjab for forwarding "BJP's letter" in the wake of assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
Dhaliwal claimed that due process was followed in Gosal's appointment as the VC of the Ludhiana-based PAU and sought to remind the governor that University Grants Commission norms did not apply to the agricultural university.
Asserting that Gosal will continue to be the VC, Dhaliwal said the AAP government of Punjab would not tolerate "unnecessary interference" by the governor.
While the governor is the chancellor of the PAU, Gosal, a noted agricultural expert, was appointed as its vice-chancellor in August.
In a letter to the chief minister on Tuesday, Purohit said it had been brought to his notice that the government appointed Gosal as vice-chancellor of the PAU without following UGC norms and the approval of the chancellor.
"This act of the government of Punjab is totally illegal and cannot be accepted by any logic," Purohit wrote.
"Since Satbir Singh Gosal has been appointed VC of PAU by the Punjab government, you are requested to remove the said vice-chancellor, which has been illegally appointed, without any further delay," he added.
The charge of the vice-chancellor may be handed over to the administrative secretary of the agriculture department till the appointment of a new vice-chancellor, the governor said.
"You are also requested to instruct your concerned department to initiate the process of appointment of a new vice-chancellor, in consultation with the chancellor," Purohit wrote.
This comes days after the governor declined to clear the appointment of noted cardiologist Dr Gurpreet Singh Wander as the vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot.
The AAP government had appointed Wander but the governor asked it to send a panel of three names.
Addressing the media later, Dhaliwal asserted that UGC rules did not apply to PAU, which is governed by the Haryana and Punjab Agricultural Universities Act, 1970. He said the governor should have known it before making any accusation.
The minister also took exception to the governor calling Gosal's appointment "totally illegal", terming Purohit's move "unconstitutional".
Dhaliwal said Gosal, a renowned agricultural scientist, was appointed by following a proper channel and due legal process.
He said a three-member committee headed by the chief secretary selected three names and then, the board of the university made the selection.
Dhaliwal alleged that the governor forwarded the letter sent to him by the BJP without even reading it.
The minister demanded that the governor should withdraw the letter and seek a apology from Punjabis.
"The Punjab government will not tolerate this illegal action. We will not tolerate unnecessary interference in the functioning of the government," he said.
"If you want to play such politics, then you should join the BJP but do not violate the sanctity of the constitutional post," Dhaliwal said.
Replying to a query, Singh said the governor is the chancellor of Panjab University, Guru Nanak Dev University and Panjabi University, but claimed that the PAU did not come under him.
The minister hailed Gosal's appointment as the VC of the PAU and said he is a noted scientist well-deserving for the job.
"You do not even know what Gosal's contribution towards agriculture is," Dhaliwal said in a swipe at Purohit.
The minister also accused the BJP of "troubling" the AAP in Delhi and Punjab in the wake of upcoming polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
The governor's fresh letter comes in a series of flashpoints between Purohit and the AAP government.
The row began when the governor withdrew his approval to a special session of the assembly for a confidence motion last month.
Purohit had on October 8 taken exception to Chief Minister Mann skipping the civic reception held in honour of President Droupadi Murmu during her maiden visit to Chandigarh. PTI CHS VSD IJT
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)