Chandigarh: Ground purely personal, Punjab Guv on resignation

Chandigarh : Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday said the ground for his resignation last month was purely personal, and added that he was, however, told to stay and continue his work.

In an interaction with mediapersons here, Purohit also talked about various initiatives taken during his tenure so far as the Union Territory (UT) Chandigarh Administrator. Asked about the real reason behind his resignation, he said, “I have sent it (resignation), but they are not leaving (me) and telling me (to) stay and work.”

“They said ‘nahi karenge’ (won’t accept resignation),” he said. He said the ground he gave for his resignation was purely his family, personal reasons and nothing else. “My wife came here from Nagpur but went back after 10 days. My family, they are missing me there... I am also international vice president of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and I started the Nagpur centre in 1984,” he said. Purohit had last month submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu, citing personal reasons.

“Due to my personal reasons and certain other commitments, I tender my resignation from the post of governor of Punjab and administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh. Please accept the same and oblige,” Purohit wrote in his resignation letter. Purohit was appointed as Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator in August 2021. Earlier, he had also served as the governor of Assam from 2016 to 2017 and the governor of Tamil Nadu from 2017 to 2021. Purohit had also been a three-time Lok Sabha member from Nagpur in 1984, 1989 and 1996.

Asked about his address to the Punjab Assembly on the opening day of its budget session on March 1, when it was disrupted by the opposition Congress legislators who raised the issues of the protesting farmers, the governor said, “I am of the view that time of the House should be properly utilised. I had told them (Congress members) that they would listen to my address first and then they may speak and have a healthy debate (on Governor’s Address).”