Mizoram Governor Aziz Qureshi sacked

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 28

The Centre today removed Mizoram Governor Aziz Qureshi. He became the second person after Kamla Beniwal to be sacked from the gubernatorial post by the BJP-led NDA government.

"The President has directed that Dr Aziz Qureshi shall cease to hold the office of the Governor of Mizoram. The President has appointed Keshari Nath Tripathi, Governor of West Bengal, to discharge the functions of the Governor of Mizoram in addition to his own duties until regular arrangements for the office of the Governor of Mizoram are made," a Rashtrapati Bhavan press communiqué said here.

Qureshi, who approached the Supreme Court following the Centre's prod to step down, had two more years to complete his five-year tenure. He joins a long list of Governors who have either been removed or have resigned after the Modi government assumed office in May 2014.

Mizoram has seen a steady exit of Governors. It began with Vakkom Purushottam who resigned after being transferred to Nagaland.

His replacement, Kamala Beniwal, who had a serious differences with the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, was sacked a month after she assumed office.

Then Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan, who was transferred to Mizoram, preferred to put in his papers instead of taking up the new assignment while former Home Secretary and Manipur Governor VK Duggal held temporary charge before resigning.

Recently, former Delhi top police officer KK Paul was given additional charge of Mizoram till he was transferred to Uttarakhand to replace Qureshi.

Qureshi, who was among the Governors appointed by the UPA government, was told by the then Home Secretary Anil Goswami to quit after the change in government.

He approached the Supreme Court against attempts to ease him out. Former Punjab Congress chief Virendra Kataria was removed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, a year after he served in the Union Territory. Five other Governors — MK Narayanan (West Bengal), Ashwani Kumar (Nagaland), BL Joshi (UP), Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh) and BV Wanchoo (Goa) -- resigned  apparently after a nudge from the Centre.

2nd Guv to be removed by Modi govt

• Aziz Qureshi (pic) becomes the second person after Kamla Beniwal to be sacked from the gubernatorial post by the BJP-led NDA government
• Five other Governors — MK Narayanan (West Bengal), Ashwani Kumar (Nagaland), BL Joshi (UP), Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh) and BV Wanchoo (Goa) — resigned apparently after a nudge from the Centre.
• Virendra Kataria was removed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry