Solanki sworn-in as Haryana governor

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kaptan Singh Solanki was Sunday sworn-in as the governor of Haryana.

He was administered the oath of office by acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Ashutosh Mohunta at Haryana Raj Bhavan here.

Solanki, 75, a BJP Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh and former college professor, succeeded Jagannath Pahadia whose five- year term ended Saturday.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other ministers were present at the swearing-in ceremony.

The new governor is likely to take up the matter over the controversial enactment of a law in Haryana that created the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) to manage gurdwaras (Sikh shrines) in Haryana.

Outgoing governor Pahadia gave his assent to the controversial bill, passed by the Haryana assembly June 11, despite stiff opposition from the Akali Dal in Punjab and the Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Solanki earlier said that he would go through the record of the entire issue before taking a decision in the matter.

The Akali Dal and the Amritsar-based SGPC are demanding that the governor withdraw the assent to the HSGPC bill.

The bill was introduced by the Congress government in Haryana just ahead of the assembly polls in the state to be held October this year.

With the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government going ahead with its move for a separate committee for Haryana gurdwaras by announcing a 41-member ad hoc HSGPC, the new governor will have to explore constitutional options over the issue.

The SGPC will lose control over 72 gurdwaras with the creation of the HSGPC.