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Two days after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s letter to Governor Banwaralal Purohit asking him to approve a bill to liberate Ghorbani from the alleged monopoly of a TV channel linked to the family of Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, Purohit said on Monday that as per the legal advice he had received, Vidhan’s hearing The particular Sabha in which the bill was passed violated the law and the procedures of the House of Representatives.
In a written letter to the Prime Minister, Purohit said he was considering obtaining the legal opinion of the Attorney General of India or, in accordance with the Constitution, to reserve these Bills for consideration and approval by the President of India.
The letter stated, “You have proceeded to receive legal advice which gives me assent that your invitation to the Vidhan Sabha on 19-06-2023 and 20-06-2023 when these four bills were passed was in violation of law and procedure, thus casting doubt on the legitimacy of and the legality of those laws. On the background of the legal advice I have received, I am seriously considering obtaining the legal opinion of the Attorney General of India, or in accordance with the Constitution, to reserve these Bills for consideration and approval of the President of India.”
Regrettably, said the Governor, “With reference to your letter of July 15th, it appears from your assertion that you are interested in certain actions of a ‘certain political family’ which have prompted the passage of the referred Bill. You also thought it appropriate to describe the time it took as something that “was tantamount to stifling the democratic will of the people of Punjab”.
“I do not wish to associate words with you on what appears to be a matter of your own perception. But I wish to point out that I, as Governor, have been bound by the Constitution of India to ensure that bills are passed in accordance with law. In order to conscientiously perform my duties, I have begun to take legal advice.”
He also said, “As Chief Minister, you will appreciate that the people of Punjab are equally concerned with ensuring that laws affecting them are finally passed after due process. You can rest assured that I will take action according to law after examining the legality of the Vidhan Sabha held on 19-06 -2023 and 20-06-2023 first.”
The ruler had already made his intention clear when he had questioned the legitimacy of the session. The government has been watching with interest the governor’s reaction after four bills were passed in session. All four bills were sent to the Governor for approval. Among them were the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill was to create an independent mechanism for the selection and appointment of suitable persons for the post of Director General of Police. The Gurdwaras Act was aimed at liberating the undue control of a television channel over the rights to broadcast Gurbani sacred television.
The government also passed the controversial bill, Punjab University Laws (Amendment) Act 2023, removing the governor from the post of Chancellor of Punjab Universities in the same session. The draft law proposed assigning the powers of the heads of public universities to the prime minister. The move came amid an ongoing struggle between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Governor Purohit over several issues, including the selection of vice-chancellors of various universities by the government.
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