Ram Gopal fires fresh salvo: Governor Ram Naik an RSS worker, working on communal agenda

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The SP leader said Naik attends “functions of organisations that are spreading hatred” in society. “He acts like a swayamsevak of RSS, which is not good. Naik’s act is against the dignity of a Governor,” he added.

Ram Gopal said it seems that Naik is “the Home Minister who is reviewing” law and order. “We demand from the Centre that he should be inducted as a Union Minister so that he can visit places across the country giving statements while working on his communal agenda,” Ram Gopal added.

The SP leader was talking to the media at party headquarters here a day after Naik blamed the “very poor” law and order in the state for the increasing incidents of communal clashes.

“The law and order situation is very poor in the state… I have requested the CM that it should be improved. The communal disturbances which are happening are due to bad law and order situation,” Naik had told the media during a cultural festival at Orai town in Jalaun district.

Ram Gopal said no other Governor comes up with “statements with political overtones” everyday. “In Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and northeast states a number of incidents take place, but the Governors there never make such statements on law and order,” he added.
Asked if Naik was working under direction of the Centre, the SP leader said, “I don’t think there is any hand of the Centre in this regard…there are governors in others states, where BJP is not in power, but they don’t talk like him”.

Ram Gopal also lamented that even the confidential talks between the CM and Governor are leaked to the press. “Talks between Governor and CM should not be made public but he not only reveals them but also gives his reaction,” he said in an apparent reference to a recent meeting of CM Akhilesh Yadav with Naik where they discussed MLC nominations and pending bills.

Stating that Naik should “introspect”, Ram Gopal said SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is in Delhi and “may apprise Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the situation”.

The Governor, meanwhile, described as “purely political” his criticism by Ram Gopal. “It’s purely a political statement made by him. And it is below my dignity to respond to political statements,” Naik said.

This is the second time in last few months when Ram Gopal has directly attacked Naik. Earlier, he had demanded that Naik be removed over his statement that a particular caste (Yadavs) was ruling the roost in UP government.

The state government and the Raj Bhavan have remained at loggerheads over a number of issues including over the appointment of Lokayukta. Naik is yet to approve five names that the government sent for nomination to the Legislative Council. Also, more than half a dozen bills are pending with the Raj Bhavan.