Hyderabad: Telangana's senior Cabinet minister K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday said that if Tamilisai Soundararajan behaves like a Governor, the state government will definitely respect her.
He was reacting to an allegation by Soundararajan that the state government insulted her. He, however, denied the allegation.
Rama Rao said the state government respects Constitutional positions and it had nothing against the Governor. "Why will we have any problem with the Governor. If the Governor behaves like a Governor, we will definitely respect her," he said.
During an interaction with the media persons in Sircilla, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President denied that the Governor was insulted. "Where, when and how was she insulted. Let her be specific. If she feels that way, it's her imagination," he said.
KTR, as the minister is popularly known, claimed that the TRS government is acting as per the Constitution. "It is clear in the Constitution that the Governor should address the first session of the legislature in a new year. Since the earlier session was not prorogued, there was no address by the governor," he said referring to Soundararajan's objection to the state government doing away with the Governor's address to the Budget session.
The minister also had a dig at the Governor for not accepting the state government's recommendation to nominate P. Kaushik Reddy to the Legislative Council. "I read somewhere quoting her that Kaushik Reddy's political background came in the way of his becoming MLC. Mrs Tamilisai Soundararajan was BJP state President in Tamil Nadu. Why didn't her political background come in the way of her becoming the Governor," he asked.
KTR pointed out that the government had no issue when E.S.L. Narasimhan was the Governor of the state.
Soundararajan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi during the last two days. She alleged that the state government insulted her and did not follow the Governor's protocol.