Governor Ram Naik completes two years in office on July 21 and these years have been tumultuous wherein some senior SP leaders (including a minister) targeting the Raj Bhawan. The situation reached such a low that 'derogatory words' were used against Naik in Vidhan Sabha for not giving his assent to some Bills.
But the Governor stood his ground forcing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to come to him and hold out the olive branch.
“I have friendly relations with Chief Minister. We exchange ideas,” he said in a tête-à-tête with a group of reporters in lucknow on Wednesday. He spoke at length on various issues and his experience as Governor.
On encroachment of land.
I have asked CM Akhilesh Yadav to probe into illegal encroachment of government lands in the state and asked him to release a White Paper on it. The state government is working on it and all divisional commissioners have been asked to prepare the report.
On law and order issue.
There is always scope for improvement in law and order situation in the state. UP is a big state and law and order is always an important agenda for any government. There is always a need for improvement. It is like if a student gets 90 per cent mark he tries to score more.
View on Mathura and Kairana issues
It is my constitutional duty to send monthly law and order report to the Centre. I have recently sent reports to the President, Prime Minister and Union Home minister over recent incidents of violence in Mathura, exodus in Kairana and fresh development in Dadri. I cannot say much. I am bound by Constitutional propriety.
Comment on demand to abolish Governor’s post.
It is a political statement as the issue was raised during Chief Ministers meeting with Prime Minister in New Delhi recently. The matter came to light in view of the recent acts of Governors in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh respectively. But I think a Governor should act only as per Constitutional norms and should be transparent and responsible in the action taken by him. As a constitutional head of the state, a Governor has the huge responsibility of strengthening democratic set up within Constitutional norms.
On Azam Khan’s statement against him.
I have decided not to make any comment on any political statements. Please excuse me.
His experience as Governor.
I have been MlA, MP and Union minister. I have served people when I was in politics. I follow the same routine even now. My doors are always open. like my memoirs in Marathi titled `Charaiwati-Charaiwati’ I too like to go on forever. ( Charaiwati-Charaiwati in Hindi means chalte raho-chalte raho). The book contains my memoirs as Governor which were published in Mumbai newspaper Sakal. The newspaper also published memoirs of three more politicians-- Sharad Pawar, Manohar Joshi and Sushil Kumar Shinde.