Shilong: Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan has resigned, days after a controversy was triggered by reports in local media, which accused him of sexual misconduct. The reports had quoted a woman who had come to seek a job at the Governor’s Office.
Later, last week, a letter was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the staff of the Governor’s House, accusing the Governor of “compromising with the dignity of his office”.
The Governor, who also holds the additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh, has denied the media allegations, but he is yet to react to the accusations by his employees.
“All these things are not right… We have selected only one person. Those who were not selected should not say all these things,” the Governor had told local daily Shillong Times yesterday.
Later, 98 workers of the Governor’s House in Shillong had allegedly signed a letter sent to PM Modi, which was widely circulated on social media. Media could not verify the authenticity of the letter, which levelled various accusations against the Governor — including humiliating and mistrusting his employees and sexual misconduct — and demanded that an investigation be held against him. The letter also said the accusations were backed by evidence, which could be supplied if need be.
The employees, in a letter, had alleged that Shanmuganathan had “seriously compromised the dignity of the Raj Bhavan and made it a ‘young ladies club’.
“His activities hurt the decorum and prestige of the Raj Bhavan as well as the sentiments of the Raj Bhavan employees who are very much attached to the Raj Bhavan, it becomes our concern. From the time he has taken over, the employees are going through severe humiliation, mental stress and torture,” the letter read.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had said he was waiting for PM Modi and the Home Ministry to take a call on the matter.
The resignation also follows a popular protest in Shillong, in which civil society groups hit the streets on Republic Day.
“Our demand is that the Governor should step down. We want impartial probe. The sexual harassment act should be properly implemented in Meghalaya, there should be an internal committee in on sexual harassment in governor’s house,” said Tarun Bharatiya, one of the protesters.
