Governor Kalraj Mishra had blocked two previous proposals for the assembly for various reasons.
Strong points
- Governor expressed concern over “frightening” situation in state
- Ashok Gehlot yesterday presented a third proposal for the Assembly session
- The governor had blocked two previous proposals for various reasons
Jaipur:
Governor of Rajasthan Kalraj Mishra, in a statement today canceling the annual Independence Day event “at home” for what he called a surge in coronavirus cases, delivered a message that the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will not like to hear.
The governor said he was concerned about the “frightening” situation in the state and the increase in cases of active viruses.
“When the assembly session was canceled on March 13, there were two cases. At the time, the session was canceled to combat the spread of the global pandemic,” Mishra said.
“There were 3,381 cases on July 1. Today there are more than 10,000. The relentless spread of the virus is cause for concern and the state must take serious action to save people from this pandemic world. “
The statement comes a day after Chief Minister Gehlot submitted his third proposal for an assembly session starting on Friday. This is taken as a clue that if the governor corrects it again, the coronavirus could be a legitimate reason.
Mr Gehlot, who is fighting the rebellion through his sacked deputy Sachin Pilot, is seen as continuing an assembly session for the sole purpose of proving his majority on home soil. He thinks he has roughly the numbers to win a vote of confidence right now and accuses the governor of blocking a session under pressure from the BJP.
The governor blocked two previous proposals raising questions, including one on coronavirus precautions.
On the last request, Mr Mishra had asked how social distancing and other viral protocols would be maintained during a session.
Yesterday Mr Gehlot met his cabinet to discuss the governor’s questions and sent out a revised special session proposal citing the coronavirus as an agenda.
Regarding the governor’s update on COVID-19 precautions, the Gehlot cabinet said it was up to the President to ensure all controls were in place. He also pointed out that Goa, Manipur and Pondicherry had held sessions amid the battle against the virus.
Mr. Gehlot’s request to the governor does not mention a vote of confidence. “We have a majority. We will prove it if necessary,” a minister said on Tuesday.
