Governor H.R. Bhardwaj on Tuesday expressed his intentions to retire. “I do not like the kind of politics that destroys the country. My capacity to bear these kinds of torture has ended,” he told a meet-the-press programme here.
His reference to “destructive politics” came when he recalled how the Bellary Reddy brothers targeted him for initiating an inquiry against them. But he did not specify whether his idea of retirement meant not accepting other political appointment after he completed the remaining one-year tenure as Governor or whether he wants to quit now.
“Whatever you take from the country, you have to give it back. I propose to set up a think-tank of lawyers and judges,” said the Governor, who is a legal professional and was once a Union Law Minister.
On Narendra Modi being named by the BJP as its Prime Minister candidate, he said that whatever polarisation is being seen after the decision “will not do any good to society”.
Pointing out that it was a corrupt poll practice to use communal agenda, he made an appeal against communalisation of politics.
He disclosed that he was reluctant to accept the post of the Governor when the offer was made to him.
“That was because temperamentally I consider myself unfit for the post as a Governor is generally considered to be ‘a rubber stamp’. But my wife persuaded me to accept the post saying that it is better to be a Governor than sitting idle,” he said.
“My wife told me that Karnataka is a beautiful place and that my health would improve if I went there. But after coming here, my health got adversely affected. The Governor is the head of the State and everybody tries to have a cordial relation with him. But here Ministers and political parties publicly criticise the Governor,” he replied to a query on how tough it was for him to function during the BJP rule. The Governor was presented with an honorary membership of the Press Club of Bangalore.
