Punjab Governor threatens President’s rule, CM hits back: ‘don’t test patience’

Amid the ongoing row between Punjab Governor and CM – the former threatening to impose Prez  rule in the State and the latter retaliating: ‘‘patience of 3.5 crore Punjabis shouldn’t be tested,’’ the AAP government has received support from an unexpected quarter. A report by Maninder Singh Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has termed the governor’s warning of recommending President’s rule in the state “wrong and unacceptable”, and suggested that he and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should sit together to find a solution. The Congress leader also said that if Governor Banwarilal Purohit had any issue with Mann, he should use some other constitutional powers and seek a reply from the chief secretary.  Warring posted on ‘X’, previously Twitter, “(Warning of) recommending the President’s rule and that too because of mutual grudges is very wrong and completely unacceptable. Nothing is going to come out of this fight. Sit down, speak to each other and find a solution because it is only hurting Punjabis.”  Interestingly, however, the Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal accused the AAP of deliberately adopting a “confrontationist attitude”.  A state is brought under direct rule of the Centre with the invocation of Article 356, usually after a report is sent by the Governor, while Section 124 of the IPC relates to assaulting or wrongfully restraining the President or a governor from exercising their lawful powers.  Purohit, in a letter to Mann, wrote that he could recommend the President’s rule in the state and also launch criminal proceedings if his letters were not answered. The governor indicated he was upset over not getting any reply from the chief minister on his previous letters, and warned of sending a report to the President on the failure of the constitutional mechanism.  Bhagwant Mann had often called the Governor’s letters as “love letters.” “Before I… take final decision regarding sending a report to the President of India under Article 356 about the failure of the Constitutional mechanism and take a decision about initiating criminal proceedings under Section 124 of the IPC, I ask you to send me the requisite information sought for under my letters… as also in the matter of the steps taken by you concerning the problem of drugs in the state, failing which I would have no choice but to take action according to law and the Constitution,” the Governor said in his letter.