NEW DELHI, June 17 � Amidst speculations over the possibility of all the Governors appointed during the UPA regime resigning from their posts, Assam Governor JB Patnaik denied having resigned and described such reports as baseless.
What added to the rumour mills was the report of Patnaik meeting President Pranab Mukherjee here this afternoon. He is also scheduled to call on the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister.
Talking to newsmen after his meeting with the President, the Governor said that the purpose of meeting Mukherjee was a courtesy call. �Merely meeting the President does not mean that I had gone to submit my resignation,� he said.
Denying that he has submitted his papers, Patnaik said that the media should stop speculating. Describing the reports as baseless, he said he has not received any message from anyone suggesting that he should put in his papers.
Meanwhile, submission of resignation papers by UP Governor BL Joshi on Tuesday led to the speculation that other Governors were also contemplating to resign.
This prompted BJP leader Subramanium Swamy to charge that the Governors should resign themselves. Governors were not appointed on merit by the UPA government, he further alleged.
The controversy prompted the AICC issue a clarification, explaining that a Governor cannot be removed on the ground that he is out of sync with the policies and ideologies of the Union Government or the party in power at the Centre. Nor can he be removed on the ground that the Union Government has lost confidence in him.
