After grossly misinterpreting what constitute retirement benefits, sex scandal hit AP Governor N D Tiwari appears to be on his way out.
The First Citizen of Andhra Pradesh was allegedly
caught on video receiving sexual favours from young women employed at the Raj Bhavan, and after vignettes of the romp were beamed to people of a disbelieving state who prided themselves on having seen it all over the last 4 weeks, the Centre appears to have no option but to fire him to restore dignity to the office of Governor.
While Tiwari himself has not come out speaking either supporting or denying the ABN Andhra Jyothi channel exposé yesterday, his office issued a statement that the images were 'fabricated and untruthful'. However that repudiation finds few takers, with Andhra Jyothi (the fiery Telugu newspaper whose TV news channel is about 3 months old) MD Vemuri Radhakrishna insisting that they did all their checks before taking the plunge.
Women's groups in the state are wild at the revelations, and want the Governor sacked yesterday. The road outside Raj Bhavan witnessed unruly scenes yesterday with several irate women burning effigies of the octagenarian Governor. However, nobody has started a fast-to-death yet.
Several political leaders, many from the Congress itself (Tiwari is a Congress leader, and once one of its most visible and powerful), have also been howling protest. CWC member K Keshava Rao was most vociferous, demanding Tiwari's immediate resignation.
Tiwari himself has however stated that he has no intention of resigning. Gubernatorial assignments in India are usually seen as retirement postings for erstwhile honchos of the ruling party, and unless they are terribly unlucky, governorship typically allows them to stop to smell the flowers on the way to work, and go back to the Raj Bhavan from there, without missing much. In addition, Tiwari apparently found other pursuits, too, and is understandably loathe to let it all go.
But with the situation in AP being what it is - several say heading for possible President's Rule - a strong Governor is imperative, and despite allegations still being unproven, Tiwari has lost the respect of the state's leaders.