Chandigarh, Oct 18 (PTI) Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday criticized the alleged failure of the AAP government to follow rules and regulations and proper procedures in appointing the Vice Chancellors of various universities.

His reaction came in the wake of Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit asking Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to remove Satbir Singh Gosal as the vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University, dubbing his appointment "totally illegal".

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Warring also expressed grave concern over the growing confrontation between the governor and the chief minister saying, it did not bode well for the state as the two must work in close coordination.

“By now this government should have realized that administrative appointments, unlike Rajya Sabha nominations, are not made through royal edicts, but under a proper procedure after following rules and regulations”, Warring said in a statement, while taking a dig at the "repeated rebukes and rejections by the Governor to approve its appointments for not following rules".

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On the other hand, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said chief minister Mann was deliberately trying to run down the grace and dignity of the Governor's office repeatedly.

Chugh said it was the second incident within a fortnight in which the chief minister had violated the constitutional provisions to disgrace the governor.

The BJP leader said the AAP government was “deliberately challenging” the authority of the governor and is thus causing a constitutional breakdown in the state.

"Such incidents are not only bringing disgrace to the accomplished personalities but are also demonstrating how bankrupt the state government has become in discharging its responsibilities and duties' ', Chugh added in a statement.

Chugh said the chief minister is challenging the rights and duties of the Punjab Governor which was a grave sign for the state.

Reacting to Governor Purohit asking the Chief Minister to remove Satbir Singh Gosal as the vice-chancellor, Congress' Warring said it showed complete failure of the government that it did not follow proper procedure.

“Either it is a vicious and willful attempt not to follow any rules, or it is complete ignorance about rules and regulations that is causing such repeated embarrassments to the government”, he remarked.

He said, it was sad that eminent scientist like Dr Sohal, otherwise a well deserving candidate to lead the PAU, was made to face such an embarrassment, just because the AAP government did not follow the rules and procedures properly.

The PCC president pointed out, this was the second incident within a week as earlier another reputed cardiologist Dr G S Wander's appointment as Baba Farid University of Health Sciences was not approved by the Governor because proper rules and procedures were not followed.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also hit out at the AAP dispensation over the issue.

"Another blunder of AAP govt in Punjab. After BFUHS VC appointment row, governor termed the appointment of PAU VC, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal illegal. This time AAP govt failed to follow UGC norms. This is what happens when people with little knowledge take charge of higher positions," Bajwa tweeted.

Senior BJP leader and former MP Sunil Jakhar said the fiasco over appointment of PAU VC was an avoidable embarrassment had the state government followed due procedural norms for an otherwise routine process.

"The Hon'ble Governor, being the Chancellor of the state Universities, is the final appointing authority for appointment of a VC," Jakhar said.

"Is there nobody to tell the powers that be a simple rule that any name or a panel of names the government proposes has to be ratified by the Governor before one is chosen to lead the University as a Vice-Chancellor," Jakhar asked.

The process for appointment of a VC is otherwise a routine process "which this ill-informed government seems to have turned into yet another unnecessary tussle with the Governor", Jakhar further said adding that there seems to be an administrative void in the state where no officer is willing to take the risk of advising the state government.

While the governor is the chancellor of the PAU, Gosal, a noted agricultural expert, was appointed as its vice-chancellor in August. In a letter to the chief minister on Tuesday, Purohit said it had been brought to his notice that the government appointed Gosal as vice-chancellor of the PAU without following UGC norms and the approval of the chancellor.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)