Chandigarh, Oct 20 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday accused the state Governor of "constantly interfering" in the functioning of his government and said the appointment of the Punjab Agriculture University vice chancellor was according to law.

The CM shared a letter written in Punjabi and addressed to Governor Banwarilal Purohit on his Twitter handle. However, the Raj Bhavan said the letter they received from the CM was in English and its contents were "materially different" from the one circulated in the media.

Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Acquitted in 26-Year-Old Case, Elderly Man Dies of Heart Attack in Banka District.

The fresh confrontation between the Governor and the state government has taken place over the appointment of Satbir Singh Gosal as the university vice chancellor.

Two days ago, Purohit had asked the CM to revoke his appointment, saying he was appointed without following University Grants Commission norms and approval of the Chancellor.

Also Read | Supreme Court Orders Treatment of HIV Positive Ex-Armyman at Base Hospital.

In his letter, the chief minister on Thursday said Gosal was appointed as per law and claimed that the Governor's move has angered people.

He also mentioned how the Governor withdrew the approval for convening an Assembly session last month and declined to clear the appointment of noted cardiologist Dr Gurpreet Singh Wander as the vice chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot.

"For the past a few months, you have been constantly interfering in the functioning of the government, which was elected with a huge mandate," said Mann.

"First you created an obstacle in convening the Punjab Assembly session, then you cancelled the appointment of the vice chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, and now you ordered the cancelling of the appointment of PAU VC," said Mann.

The CM also asked Purohit who is asking him to carry out such "wrong and unconstitutional" works and why he agreed to do this.

"I have met you many times. I found you to be a very good and nice person. You cannot do such acts on your own. Who is asking you to do such wrong and unconstitutional works? Why do you agree with them? They hide behind your back, you get defamed," the CM said.

"I request you with folded hands that do not listen to them. These people, who are getting you to do wrong things, are clear that they do not want Punjab's welfare. You please let the elected government work," said Mann.

Mann told the Governor that Dr Gosal is a well-known scientist and a respected Punjabi Sikh. "Punjabis are very angry over your order of removing such a person," he said.

Mann told the Governor that the agriculture university's vice-chancellor is appointed according to the Haryana and Punjab Agricultural Universities Act, 1970.

"The VC is appointed by the board of the PAU. There is no role of a chief minister or Governor in it," wrote the CM as he cited examples of previous appointments of Baldev Singh Dhillon and M S Kang as vice chancellors of the university.

He said no approval of the Governor was sought in appointing any of the previous vice chancellors. "Therefore, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal has also been appointed as per law, like it used to be done earlier," said Mann.

Reacting to it, the Raj Bhavan in a statement claimed that the letter in Punjabi, which is in circulation in the media, was not received by them.

"There is a letter in circulation in the media which is in Punjabi, alleged to have been written by the chief minister, Punjab to the Governor, Punjab about the appointment of the vice chancellor of PAU, Ludhiana. This letter has not been received in Punjab Raj Bhavan till this moment," said the statement.

The letter received from the chief minister was in English and the contents of both letters are "materially different", it said.

The Governor's Office has sought clarification from the CM as to which of his two letters is authentic and why the letter written in Punjabi has been circulated to the media before and without sending it to the Punjab Raj Bhavan, said the statement.

The letter received by the Governor Office outlines details about the selection process of a VC, names of three persons considered for the post, highlighting the PAU being governed by a separate Act and other details. The letter in English also stated that it was requested to reconsider the observations made by the Governor in his previous letter, the statement said.

(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)