An Apolitical Role

Both, the President as well as the Prime Minister, have reminded governors of the apolitical role required of them by the Constitution and DH has an editorial on it here. It does not say if the PM said what he did with a straight face, but it is difficult to believe that he could have. Not after Bihar. While on the topic, look at this admonition:

Of all the faults of which a Governor can be guilty, the fault of partisanship is most reprehensible....A partisan Governor is no more fit for his high office than a partisan judge.

The President speaking? Or the PM? Or the NDA? Actually it was the Premier of Bengal (running a coalition government incidentally), in 1943, writing to the British Governor of Bengal. He had just been forced to sign a resignation letter drafted by the Governor and his rival, from the Muslim League, was sworn in shortly afterwards.

The problem goes a long way back.

Update: The quotation is taken from this book.