26 Dec :ND Tiwari on Saturday resigned as Andhra Pradesh Governor in the wake of a raging controversy after a sting operation purportedly showed him in a compromising position with three women.
86-year-old Tiwari, a former chief minister of undivided Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, sent his resignation to President Pratibha Patil on “health grounds”, said a press communique from the Raj Bhavan.
The resignation came a day after Telugu television channel ‘ABN Andhra Jyothi’ aired a footage captured in a sting operation of an elderly man with three women in Raj Bhavan in a compromising position, which the channel said was of Tiwari.
The Raj Bhavan denied it and promptly approached the High Court on Friday and got a restraint order on the channel from telecasting the footage.
The sting operation evoked a string of demands from political parties, like TDP, CPM, CPI and BJP, that he be sacked.
Women’s organisations also staged demonstrations deploring the Governor’s behaviour and demanded that he step down immediately.
The Congress welcomed the resignation saying Tiwari has taken the appropriate decision.
Prez forwards Tiwari’s resignation to Centre
The resignation of Andhra Pradesh Governor N D Tiwari, in the wake of a sting operation purportedly showing him in a compromising position with women, was on Saturday forwarded to the central government by President Pratibha Patil.
The resignation of 86-year-old Tiwari was sent by Patil’s office to the government after it was received from the office of Andhra Pradesh Governor.
The President, who is at present touring Lakshwadeep, will accept the resignation after receiving a recommendation from the government.
Meanwhile, Congress welcomed Tiwari’s decision and said he had taken the “appropriate decision” of quitting and acting on “moral principles”, a contention ridiculed by BJP as a bid to make a “virtue” out of it.
Soon after Tiwari resigned, AICC media department chief Janardhan Dwivedi said, “I think he does not want to hold an office till it is proved that whether it is true or false.”
Welcoming Tiwari’s action, Dwivedi said, “I think he has taken an appropriate decision keeping in view the high standards of public life.”
Congress President Sonia Gandhi earlier in the day held a meeting with senior party colleagues Pranab Mukherjee, A K Antony and Ahmed Patel to discuss the matter.