By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has appointed four new governors on October 12, but serious controversies have instantly erupted on two of them – Governor for Odisha Braj Mohan Ram and Governor for Sikkim Dushyant Gautam. Governor of Odisha has betrayed the political motif of the Modi government, while mother and family members of a murder and rape victim protested at India gate against the appointment of Dushyant Kumar as governor of Sikkim, and demanded pause until CBI investigation against him is completed.
The controversies are too serious to be ignored, since these are related to the people’s trust on constitutional bodies and appointees on the constitutional posts. Modi’s appointees on constitutional posts are already under public scanner, especially in the backdrop of the controversy over his nominee CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s alleged misconduct eroding people’s trust on constitutional bodies.
Braj Mohan Ram’s reported remarks are particularly significant because they concern the very purpose of gubernatorial office. It has been reported that Ram said he intended to strengthen the BJP organisation in Odisha and devise ways to increase its vote share. The BJP defended him, arguing that the controversy was premature because he had not yet formally assumed office.
That defence does not remove the underlying constitutional question of neutrality. A person designated to become Governor must be able to demonstrate a clear distinction between past political activity and future constitutional duties. The question now is whether someone about to occupy a non-partisan constitutional position should publicly present party-building as a continuing objective.
Odisha Governor designate’s remark on his appointment on the constitutional post that he would work for ensuring the BJP gets as many votes as possible, has been criticised by the opposition.
Odisha Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das led the Opposition’s offensive against Ram and said, “The constitutional duty of the governor is to impartially uphold the Constitution, not to advance the electoral interests of any political party.”
Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who heads the Biju Janata Dal, joined in condemning Ram over his remarks, and said, “the people of Odisha can clearly see how eager the Governor-designate is to fulfill his “party obligations.”
It is but natural to ask if Raj Bhavan becoming an extension of the ruling party? In the recent past, there have already been controversies in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Delhi. It again raised a serious concern about the question of federalism, and who really govern the states – the elected government in the states or the ruling party at the centre through their appointee governor?
The conduct of Governors matters so much when the Centre and a state are governed by different parties. Disputes over Bills, legislative proceedings and government formation can become contests over the practical meaning of an electoral democratic mandate.
The Governor is neither the political representative of the Prime Minister nor an unconditional supporter of the Chief Minister. The office must operate within constitutional limits, respect judicial decisions and maintain the distinction between the authority of the Union and that of an elected state government. Odisha’s Governor desigtate’s statement is a bad omen.
The other controversy relating to the Governor designate of Sikkim Dushyant Kumar Gautam is even more serious. A rape and murder victim of Uttarakhand Ankita Bhandari’s mother and other family members have alleged Dushyant’s involvement.
When the family of a murdered young woman is still demanding answers about an alleged VIP connection to her death, the appointment of a person whose name has surfaced in that controversy to a constitutional office raises questions that go beyond party politics.
It should be recalled that Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort in Uttarakhand was raped and murdered in 2022. Three men, including the resort owner Pulkit Arya, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder. Yet Ankita’s family continues to demand a thorough investigation into the alleged involvement of a VIP whose identity and possible role they want investigators to establish. The CBI took up the investigation into the alleged VIP angle in January 2026.
Ankita’s parents have publicly appealed to President Droupadi Murmu to halt or reconsider Gautam’s appointment until the investigation is completed. They have also protested in New Delhi, with opposition leaders joining them in demanding accountability.
Several Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi joined Ankita’s parents’ protest at India gate. In the early morning of October 15, 2026, their parents were detained by Delhi Police, along with Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate, and Indian Youth Congress leader Uday Bhanu Chib. They were however released after detention.
Ankita’s father threatened to launch a nationwide agitation if the government did not accept their demand. Her family has been alleging that Mr. Gautam played a key role in Ankita’s death. “We give a 24-hour ultimatum to the government for the cancellation of Dushyant’s appointment,” he said.
The Congress has claimed that the appointment was aimed at shielding Mr. Gautam, arguing that a Governor cannot be subjected to criminal proceedings while holding office. It should be noted that Gautam was a former national general secretary of the BJP.
After meeting the aggrieved family Rahul Gandhi expressed solidarity with them and accused the BJP in a post on X, of protecting an alleged VIP accused and rewarding him with a constitutional position despite the family’s continued fight for justice.
These two appointments are themselves testimony of the low morality of the Modi government, especially on appointments on constitutional posts, which is bound to erode public trust on constitutional bodies and posts, which is ominous for a democracy. India’s democratic institutions are not the property of the Modi government. They belong to the Republic. Constitutional posts must be filled with people of integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness. (IPA Service)
