Tamilisai Soundarajan spells out a litany of complaints against Telangana govt

Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday said her office was humiliated by the K Chandrasekhar Rao-led government in the state as she was not allowed to hoist the national flag on Republic Day. She said the southern state created history by discriminating against a woman governor.

“Governor’s office is not respected. Not responded,” this is how Soundararajan described how Raj Bhavan had been treated by the state government in the three years she has been in office.

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The Governor was interacting with journalists at Raj Bhavan after releasing a coffee table book, ‘Rediscovering Self Through Selfless Service,’ marking the third year of her in office.

‘Protocol not followed’

“The state will write history on how a woman governor was discriminated against. I was denied the governor’s address and the hoisting of the flag on Republic Day. Even now wherever I go, protocol is not followed. The (governor’s) office should be respected,” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Telangana Gov Tamilisai Soundararajan says, "…The state will write history how a woman Governor was discriminated. I was denied the Governor's Address&the hosting of the flag on Republic Day. Even now wherever I go protocol isn't followed. Office should be respected.." pic.twitter.com/Bb39hXW6Ux

— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2022

The governor said that if a top elected representative does not attend an event organised by her, their office should at least notify the Raj Bhavan about the same. “The proper protocol should be followed. Because these things will be written in the history of Telangana.”

She said the day she stepped into Raj Bhavan, she stopped being a politician. “Tomorrow some other person will sit in this chair. Will you follow protocol then? Why are you not following now? Is it because I am a woman, or is it because I am serving the people, or not obeying you? Why? Come out openly,” she said.

Hitting out at KCR

She also hit out at Rao, or KCR, for not attending the recent meeting of chief ministers of southern states that was chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah.

“Recently, there was a southern zonal conference, which I attended as the Lt Governor of Puducherry, and 75 per cent of the concerns discussed were from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Why didn’t the chief minister (KCR) attend when all the other chief ministers did? When the Union home minister is present to fix the problem, what is the matter with you (KCR)? Why are you not making use of the opportunity that has been provided to you? This is why you should have good terms with the central government,” she said.

Highlighting the poor condition of Telangana’s health infrastructure, the governor said government hospitals are deteriorating, and the director of a government hospital is being treated at a private hospital. Politicians are too receiving treatment at private facilities, she said.

“If elected representatives do their jobs, then why will people come to Raj Bhavan,” the Governor asked. She said despite her letters to the government on the disheartening condition of students at IIIT Basar, or Telangana University, and on other issues, the government had not responded.

‘No boundaries for governors’

“They tell governors can’t go here and there, but there are no boundaries for a governor. My intention is only to help the people and everything is for the people’s service,” said Soundararajan. “I am not one to reach out and make demands because I am a woman. But there is no problem that cannot be solved through interaction,” she said.

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To a question on why the Chief Minister’s pictures were not displayed at Raj Bhavan during the function, she said if that would solve the problem then she would have the picture put up. “Telangana and the whole world should see if what is happening in Telangana is correct,” she added.

To a question on what she thought of the Chandrashekar Rao government, she said “I am observing everything as a common citizen.”

(With agency inputs)