In the absence of an effective Opposition in the State, Governor T.V. Rajeshwar seems to have assumed that role. In the last two months, he has sent 52 letters to the Mulayam government, seeking explanation on several issues, especially on the law and order situation. The government is taking its time in replying to the letters. So far, only one reply has been received. ‘‘The Raj Bhawan has been sending reports to government departments, but we are still awaiting replies,’’ confirmed a senior official at Raj Bhawan.From seeking the Home department’s explanation on a robbery at a petrol pump in Rampur owned by former Congress MP Noor Bano to the increasing number of student union leaders with criminal records contesting elections, the Governor is not sparing CM Mulayam Singh Yadav on any issue.‘‘Kripya is petrol pump per loot ki ghatne ke samabandh mein kya karyawahi huain use avgat karae (Please brief us on action taken in connection with the robbery at this petrol pump),’’ says a letter.And it’s not that the letters are being shot off for the sake of filing them. Rajeshwar is keeping close tabs on the response too. ‘‘The governor himself is keeping a record of each communication and checks the progress of each letter with us,’’ said an official in Raj Bhawan.Earlier too, Rajeshwar made it clear that he was not going to act like a rubber-stamp. Objecting to the proposed Bill for setting up an Urdu University, he questioned how anyone could become the lifetime chancellor of any university. This forced the Mulayam government to drop the idea.
