Mulayam upset with governor

Governor likely to submit report on 'deteriorating' law and order situation

Speculation that the Centre is planning to intervene in some way in Uttar Pradesh reached a crescendo on Wednesday as UP Governor TV Rajeshwar, who has been camping here for the last few days, extended his stay by a day.

Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President APJ Abdul Kalam to complain about the conduct of the governor, especially regarding the issue of "vice-chancellor for life" Azam Khan's appointment.

Azam Khan was to have been appointed vice-chancellor for life of a Lucknow university, according to a decision of the UP Cabinet.

But as the matter could not be brought before the Assembly because of the Congress' opposition to it, the government decided to promulgate an ordinance. The ordinance was sent to the governor, who forwarded it to the President without accepting or rejecting it.

At a press conference yesterday, Amar Singh lashed out at the governor and said his conduct was reprehensible. The matter assumes delicacy because of the minority sentiments attached to the issue of the appointment. The Samajwadi Party has clearly decided to adopt this issue as a stick to beat the secularism of the Congress with.

The Congress in the state has been consistently making a case for the dismissal of the Yadav government but the latest in the string of incidents to prove that law and order had broken down in the state was the murder of Ajit Singh, SP member of the UP Legislative Council, at his birthday party two days ago.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati has also demanded that the Samajwadi Party government in the state be dismissed on the charges of breakdown of law and order.

A report by the governor regarding deteriorating law and order in the state could form the basis of the dismissal of the Yadav government.

But such a move could have its implications at the Centre and put the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-Left unity in serious jeopardy. The Samajwadi Party has appended itself to the Left parties as its youngest partner. The Left coordination committee meeting tomorrow is likely to consider the situation in UP as well.

Imposition of the President's rule in the state could be the boldest political move made by the Manmohan Singh government since it has come to power. All UP politicians are monitoring the movements of the governor.

However, the UP chief minister had said yesterday that there was no threat to his government as only those people who were supporting it in the state were making noises about the law and order situation.

Meanwhile, the state government had constituted a task force to ensure quality in development works and put an effective control on the law and order situation, Chief Secretary VK Mittal said yesterday.

"The decision has been taken to ensure that complaints of serious nature regarding quality of development works, law and order and crimes are taken up promptly at high level," he said.

Administrative officers, technical and finance experts of different departments from the state headquarters would be nominated in the task force to investigate the complaints and submit report to the government, Mittal said.

The chief secretary said in order to investigate the complaints regarding law and order, the DIG (law and order), DIG (crime) and senior officers have been nominated to the task force by the home department.

This team would make on the spot inquiry about the complaints of serious nature and submit its preliminary inquiry report to the government within 24 hours.

If any police officer or employee was found lax in discharging his duty, firm action would be taken against him, Mittal added.