The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘My task is to protect people of all faiths’

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Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘My task is to protect people of all faiths’

Special Correspondent

Hans Raj Bhardwaj sworn in 16th Governor of Karnataka

— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

New role: Governor H.R. Bharadwaj inspecting a guard of honour soon after the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Bangalore on Monday.

BANGALORE: “My task is to protect people of all faiths in the State and uphold the Constitution on which I have taken the oath today,” said Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj on Monday.

Addressing presspersons after being sworn in as Governor at the Raj Bhavan here, Mr. Bhardwaj dwelt on the theme of India’s diversity and the need to maintain its unity, the subject matter of his book “India – A Fellowship of Faiths.”

He said he had put his tenure as Minister behind him now that he was a Governor. “I have known the job of active politicians, but have now changed my clothes,” he remarked. When his attention was drawn to the challenging positions he held in the past, Mr. Bhardwaj said the post of Governor was equally challenging. “I am the head of the State and have taken the oath of upholding the Constitution,” he said.

Asked for his reaction to Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde’s statement that he would approach the Governor as the State Government had failed to act on his report on the mining scandal in Bellary district within 90 days, the Governor said he needed time to study it.

Mr. Bhardwaj said he would meet everybody at the Raj Bhavan. He gave an assurance that no work would be kept pending and said: “I am a hard taskmaster and there will be no delays.”

Earlier, the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court P.D. Dinakaran administered the oath of office to Mr. Bhardwaj at the Raj Bhavan. He took the oath in the name of God.Born in 1937 in Haryana, Mr. Bhardwaj began his career as public prosecutor for the Delhi Administration in Delhi High Court and rose to become a senior lawyer in the Supreme Court. He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1982. He served as Union Minister for Law and Justice. He has also authored three books on law, criminal justice system and human rights.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and Mr. Dinakaran felicitated Mr. Bhardwaj with silk shawls, sandalwood garlands and the traditional “Mysore peta.” The new Governor’s wife Pushpalatha Bhardwaj was present along with relatives.

Prominent among those present were judges of the High Court, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha K. Rahman Khan; Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa; Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar; Chairman of the Legislative Council Veeranna Mathikatti; Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council V.S. Ugrappa; and KPCC president R.V. Deshpande.

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