Amid the controversy over Governor Ram Naik taking offence to derogatory comments by senior minister Azam Khan, Speaker of UP Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey met him at the Raj Bhawan here on Saturday. The Governor terming Azam Khan as incompetent to be a minister has demanded his expulsion from the cabinet. The Samajwadi party had however refused to comply with the demand of the Governor.
The Raj Bhawan in a press release stated that the meeting with the Speaker was held at the request of the later, who had sought appointment from the Governor.
During the meeting, Naik apprised the Speaker of the reasons why six bills have not been given clearance from his side, a Raj Bhawan release said. The Governor also told Pandey that he has already informed the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav about these bills.
The bills returned by the Raj Bhawan are UP municipal bodies (amendment) bill 2015, UP municipal corporation (amendment) bill 2015, UP minority commission (amendment) bill 2015, UP rural post graduate medical university Saifai, Etawah bill 2015, UP lok Ayukt (amendment) bill 2015 and UP Ram Manohar lohia medical institute 2015.
In a stinging remark in the Assembly last month, Azam Khan had questioned the integrity of the Governor Ram Naik and had accused Naik of stalling several bills by not giving his assent and alleged it was giving an impression that he was working under the "influence of a party".
Naik, during the meeting on Saturday, also handed over a copy of debate in the Constitution assembly on June 2, 1949 over the rights of the Governor regarding summoning of information and documents over administrative and legal matters and duties of chief ministers. The Governor also handed over the copy on the views of B R Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly on this issue.
The Governor is believed to have reiterated that as many as 20 lines of 60 of Khan's statements in the house have been expunged and this raises a question mark on his competence and ability to function as Parliamentary Affairs minister.
Earlier also, Naik had questioned Khan's competence as the Parliamentary Affairs minister after going through the CD and script of the remarks made by Khan on the floor of the House during discussions on March 8.
Khan has been engaged in a no-holds-barred war of words with Naik for quite some time, with the Samajwadi Party leader accusing him of being a 'kar sevak' and communally vitiating the atmosphere in UP at the behest of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.