Mann silent on his queries on govt functioning, Punjab governor fires off ‘President’s Rule’ warning

In four-page letter to CM, Governor Purohit says he has 'reason to believe there was failure of constitutional machinery in state', warns he'll write to President under Article 356.

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit Friday warned state Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that he would write to the President of India under Article 356 of the Constitution about the “failure of Constitutional mechanism” in the state in case the chief minister continued to ignore his demands for information regarding the working of the Mann government. Article 356 provides for the imposition of President’s Rule in a state.

In a four-page, strongly worded letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Purohit pointed out that he had “reason to believe that there was a failure of constitutional machinery in the state” as the chief minister was acting in “dereliction of his constitutional duties”.

In the letter released by the Raj Bhavan, Purohit further wrote that Mann not only “appears to be deliberately refusing” to give the information asked by him, but was also “exhibiting absence of grace and decorum”, making “unnecessary and unwarranted” observations against him. He warned Mann that he could also initiate criminal action against Mann for trying to restrain him from functioning.

Seeking fresh information regarding the steps taken by the man government in curbing rampant alleged drug abuse in the state, the governor concluded with a strong warning

“Before I am going to 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 proceeding under section 124 of the IPC [Indian Penal Code], I ask you to send me the requisite information sought for under my letters referred to above as also in the matter of 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,” he wrote.

Purohit and Mann have been on a warpath for several months now. While Purohit has been demanding information regarding the functioning of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, Mann has dug his heels in, saying that the governor was acting as an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre. Mann has also previously hit out at the governor on the  social media platform X (previously Twitter), and ridiculed him during a speech in the Vidhan Sabha.

Responding to the governor’s Friday letter, AAP Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang told news “governor should maintain a decorum. India’s Constitution empowers elected people…”.

He added: Such threatening and warning by the governor, threat to impose President’s Rule — BJP’s agenda has come on the lips of the governor. I would like to tell the governor that if they want to impose President’s Rule, they should do that in Manipur, in Haryana [a probable reference to the ethnic and communal clashes, respectively, in the two states]. Punjab government is working within the constitutional framework. Governor has just one agenda — taking forward BJP’s agenda of disturbing non-BJP state governments…Governor is working like a BJP spokesperson. This is against the democratic and constitutional principles of the country…”.

reached the chief minister’s office for comment on the governor’s letter, the report will be updated once a response is received.