Governor Tamilisai blasts TRS Govt again; takes BJP's Liberation Day line

HYDERABAD: Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, it seems, is unrelenting in her mission to rub the State Government on the wrong. In a latest instance, she found the ruse in the most topical September 17 event to stir the hornet's nest.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) has given a call to observe September 17 as Telangana Integration Day. But the Governor on Wednesday came out with an appeal to observe it as 'Telangana Liberation Day', making it clear that the First Lady of the State has her own path to tread. She said that every Telanganite should be aware of the history which was soaked with the bloodshed caused by Razakars who were promoted by the then Nizam. Wondering how anyone could ignore such a momentous day, she exhorted the people to observe September 17 as Telangana Liberation Day.

Her clarion call came during her visit to a photo and art exhibition themed, Hyderabad Liberation Movement, at the Parade Grounds in Secunderabad. By taking a line that is in complete contrast to that of the State Government, she let many eyebrows raise and opened a fresh debate on her motives.

Tamilisai Soundararajan is not only going against the TRS government's theme but on the contrary is consciously championing a different perspective that the BJP has made its own in the state.

This obviously raised questions, for an umpteenth time, whether Tamilisai is the Governor of the state or a BJP activist. The institution of governors is increasingly being treated as superannuation sanctuary, used more to accommodate veteran politicos of whichever party that is in power in Delhi. But the etiquette demands that, as the Constitutional heads, the governors should represent their state once they occupy the highest office. They are expected to shrug off their individual affiliations and function in a completely apolitical ecosystem. There may not be a dearth of instances in documented history that show how the venerated office was abused either to favour or to create troubles for the party in power in a certain state.

But Tamilisai is heavily criticised for taking this kind of 'servitude to the Centre' by many notches higher. The dime a dozen of incidents where the Governor was seen having a brush with the TRS government in the recent past prompted many to depict her as a BJP activist functioning from the precincts of the Raj Bhavan.

It's common knowledge that the harmony between Pragathi Bhavan and Raj Bhavan had turned frosty ever since Tamilisai was appointed to the state. Her decisions, actions and utterances, especially in the last year or so, have come under heavy public scrutiny.

With her actions on many occasions, she invited criticism that she was deliberately meddling with the business of the State Government. She also drew flak for insinuating and questioning the policies of an elected regime. Raising the bogey of non-cooperation and ill-treatment, she even tried to play the victim card so hard which prompted KCR to keep away from Raj Bhavan.

With the Liberation Day call, the Governor is perhaps only driving the wedge deeper into the rift that she has with the elected regime of the TRS in the state.