M A I N   N E W S

Suraj Bhan goes to Himachal, Shastri to UP
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 3 — The Uttar Pradesh Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan, who sparked off a controversy by seeking direct access to official state files and hobnobbing with RSS functionaries, has been shifted to Himachal Pradesh.

Mr Bhan swaps places with Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, who will assume charge as Governor in Lucknow, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué said here today.

The appointments would take effect from the date they assume charge .

Mr Bhan had raised a storm sometime back when he summoned the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary and sought details about the expenditure on Government schemes for the welfare of people belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The Governor also hosted a function at Raj Bhavan involving RSS functionaries and this was objected to by the coalition partners in the Uttar Pradesh Government.

The new gubernatorial assignment for Mr Bhan follows the installation of Mr Rajnath Singh as the new Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh last week.

Mr Bhan, a former Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a senior BJP leader, while moving to a BJP-ruled state would also find it convenient in Shimla as his hometown Ambala is not far from Raj Bhavan.