Didn’t IB know about Governor V Shanmuganathan’s escapades?

While the Government acted with alacrity in advising the Meghalaya Governor to resign in the wake of a complaint to the Prime Minister that has now gone viral, it raises questions about the role of the Union Home Ministry and Intelligence agencies. The central agencies were either ignorant of the activities of the Governor right under their nose or their reports were ignored by officials at the MHA. In either case they do not inspire much confidence.

As was reported first by local newspapers in Shillong on January 24 and thereafter by The Indian Express the following day, V Shanmuganathan, a veteran RSS Pracharak from Tamil Nadu, was accused of compromising the dignity of the Raj Bhavan and converting it into a ‘Ýoung Ladies’ Club’.

The President accepted Shanmuganathan’s resignation as Governor of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh on Friday.

While the immediate provocation was the Governor inviting 10 women for interviews to fill up the post of PRO—each of whom he says spent half an hour with him in the presence of officials—and one of them allegedly complaining of misbehaviour, the letter lists several other indiscretions and offers to furnish ‘papers and photos’ to prove the allegations.

The question is why the Intelligence Bureau failed to alert the MHA about the Governor’s behaviour so as to avoid the political embarrassment? Especially since employees claim the activities of the Governor are well known to the staff at the Meghalaya House in Delhi, Kolkata and at the Raj Bhavan in Shillong?

Key points extracted from letter by Meghalaya Raj Bhavan staff to PM

• LIES He is in the habit of telling lies. For example he went around telling people that he was alongside our great leader, former President of India, Late APJ Abdul Kalam, during his last breath in Shillong. But in reality he was sleeping in his bedroom and only after the call from the Hon’ble Prime Minister made him run to Bethany Hospital, Shillong although he was advised to visit Late APJ Abdul Kalam earlier. This is just an example: there are many such instances.
• He shunted the Principal Secretary to the Governor overnight, who had an impeccable integrity and refused to support his nefarious activities.
• He ordered the VVIP dining room to be converted into an office and got his Private Secretary, a man, to sit in the Secretariat whereas conventionally the PS has been attached to the Governor.
• The newly appointed Secretary to the Governor hardly attends office. When some lady staff members complained to him about the Governor’s activities and misbehaviour, he turned a deaf ear.

• INSENSITIVE The Governor insulted and humiliated the staff to such an extent that a Deputy Secretary suffered a stroke on 28.10.2016 in the office, was hospitalised at Woodland Hospital where he passed away on November 3.
• The day after the Deputy Secretary was hospitalised, the Governor hosted a lunch for the employees of the Raj Bhavan. Half the employees did not turn up because they felt it was insensitive.
• Due to the absence of the Secretary to the Governor and with no Deputy Secretary either, the ADCs to the Governor are having a free run and there is no check on them. They are arrogant and use filthy language, which is resented by the staff. The Under-Secretary has been completely sidelined.

• LADIES’ MAN The Raj Bhavan has now become a place where young ladies come and go at will with direct orders from the Governor. It is well known that many of these ladies have direct access to his bedroom.
• After his appointment as Governor he sppointed [sic] one Smt B, a lady from Chennai, as his personal cook. Ms CD from Jorhat was appointed as Personal Assistant and then was given the post of PRO.
• Both these ladies, as per directions of the Governor, apart from their salary are provided with free lodging, food, laundry services, toiletry items, vehicles and stays in Raj Bhavan to which they are not entitled.
• Miss D’s friends and relatives are also entitled to the same facilities and such visits are frequent.
• Although the Raj Bhavan has a permanent medical set up with a doctor and two assistants, the Governor has appointed first a nurse for day duty and a private nurse on night duty as well.
• Between October 15 to 25, a lady, supposedly a nurse, was provided free stay, food etc but left as it is alleged that the Governor misbehaved with her at night.
• It is also worth mentioning that whenever the Governor is on tour outside the state, he is accompanied by Miss D except for his visits to his home town of Chennai. When Ms D is not accompanying the Governor on his tour, she enjoys a holiday at her home town, Jorhat.
• The Governor’s activities are well known and can be verified from the staff of Raj Bhavan, Shillong, Meghalaya House, New Delhi and Meghalaya House, Kolkata.

Extracts from the letter have not been edited; however, names have been replaced with initials