Amid continued friction with the Telangana government, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said on Friday that people of the state are with her.

She declined to comment on whether the state government invited her for Telangana formation day celebrations or not.

“I am not going to comment on whether the invitation extended or invitation came or not. I am with the people of Telangana and people of Telangana are also with me. I celebrated with them. That’s all I can say,” she told media persons after the formation day celebration at Raj Bhavan.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao hoisted the national flag at the main formation day event held at the newly constructed state Secretariat.

The governor had earlier complained that she was not invited by the state governments for many key events, including inauguration of Secretariat and unveiling of 125-feet statue of Dr B. R. Ambedkar.

Tamilisai said she had invited those who had fought for Telangana in 1969. “I celebrated formation day with them and I was proud to felicitate them,” she said.

“Today’s celebrations are the answer,” she quipped when asked about Chief Minister KCR’s recent remark that the post of governor is only ornamental. “People were so affectionate to participate. My doors are always open for people,” she said

Tamilisai said that she was overwhelmed with the people’s support and their love and affection. She stated that her heart was filled with joy to watch the cultural programmes reflecting the pride of Telangana.

Tamilisai, who is also Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, later left for the union territory to participate in Telangana formation day celebrations. She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has suggested that state formation day should be celebrated in all states.

At the event held at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, she delivered her speech in Telugu. She noted that the movement for Telangana has a special place as all sections of people participated in it. Recalling that it was a non-violent movement, she paid tributes to those who laid down their lives for Telangana.

The governor pointed out that over 300 people had sacrificed their lives in the 1969 agitation and said she was happy to felicitate some of those who had participated in the first phase of the movement.

She stressed the need to ensure that the fruits of development reach people in remote areas of Telangana.

Amid the continuing row over Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s absence during the inauguration of the newly-constructed state Secretariat, the Raj Bhavan clarified on Tuesday that she was not invited.

According to Raj Bhavan, no invitation was sent to the Governor for the event held on Sunday.

The Governor’s office also denied allegations levelled by a state minister that the Soundararajan did not attend the inaugural programme despite an invitation sent to her on this count.

Raj Bhavan said in a statement that the Governor didn’t attend the programme because there was no invitation, adding that there was no other reason.

On Sunday, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated the Secretariat in the presence of ministers, MPs, state legislators, BRS leaders and top officials.

The clarification from Raj Bhavan came a day after Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy lashed out at the Governor for skipping the inauguration ceremony. He also slammed Opposition leaders for not attending the event even after the state government had extended invitations to them.

The minister went on to allege that they (Opposition leaders) skipped the event because they were unable to digest the development of Telangana.

Stating that the inauguration ceremony was an official programme conducted by the state government, he claimed that the government followed the protocol and extended invitations to the Governor, MPs, MLAs and MLCs of all parties in the state.

Stating that the Secretariat building is a symbol of Telangana’s pride and self-respect, he said Chief Minister KCR, who built the architectural marvel, will be remembered in history forever.

The state government had earlier snubbed the Governor by not inviting her for the unveiling of the 125-feet statue of B.R. Ambedkar near the Secretariat on April 14.

Soundararajan had then told news channels that she felt bad about it.

“It was a big event, but there was no invitation for me. Had I got the invitation, I would have participated in the inauguration of the statue of our honourable Ambedkar ji,” she had said.

The Governor and the KCR government have been at loggerheads since 2021, when she did not accept the recommendation of the state Cabinet to nominate BRS leader P. Kaushik Reddy as a member of Telangana Legislative Council under Governor quota.

Soundararajan had repeatedly targeted the KCR government for not following the protocols and not respecting the Constitutional office of the Governor.

Ministers and leaders of the ruling BRS had hit back at her, saying she was acting like a BJP leader.

The relations between the Governor and the state government soured further last year when the government conducted the Budget session of the Assembly without the customary address of the Governor.

Earlier, she had alleged that the government forced her to unfurl the national flag at Raj Bhavan on Republic Day citing Covid-19 restrictions, though the celebrations in other states were held at public places.

The rift reached the Telangana High Court earlier this year after the state government filed a petition seeking direction to the Governor to approve the Budget. On the court’s suggestion, they amicably sorted out the issue.

While the Governor agreed to approve the Budget, the government softened its stand to begin the Assembly session with her speech.

However, the ties between Raj Bhavan and Pragati Bhavan (CM’s official residence) hit an all-time low when the state government approached the Supreme Court seeking direction to her to take a decision on the Bills passed by the state Assembly but were pending with the Raj Bhavan.

The Governor subsequently approved a couple of Bills, sent back some to the government and also forwarded a few to the President of India.

A day after Telangana government approached the Supreme Court seeking direction to Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to approve the pending bills, she told Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari that Raj Bhavan is nearer than Delhi.

The Governor also took potshots at the Chief Secretary for not making a courtesy call after taking charge as the top bureaucrat.

As the Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court was filed through the Chief Secretary, the Governor on Friday took to Twitter to train guns on the top official.

“Dear Telangana CS Rajbhavan is nearer than Delhi. Assuming office as CS you didn’t find time to visit Rahbhavan officially. No protocol!No courtesy even for courtesy call. Friendly official visits & interactions would have been more helpfull which you Don’t even intend,” reads a tweet from the official handle of Soundararajan.

“Again i remind you Rajbhavan is nearer than Delhi,” she added.

Santhi Kumari assumed office as Chief Secretary on January 11.

The Governor’s tweet came a day after Telangana government filed SLP in the Supreme Court through the Chief Secretary.

The government told the Supreme Court that the Governor didn’t give her assent to 10 bills. It pleaded with the apex court to direct the Governor to fulfill her constitutional obligation.

The SLP mentions that seven of these bills have been pending with Raj Bhavan since September while the other three were sent the Governor on February 13 after the budget session of the assembly ended.

The petition pleaded the Supreme Court to declare as illegal, irregular and unconstitutional the delay by the Governor.

“As per the mandate of the Constitution, the Governor has to necessarily clear the bills and any inaction to accord assent would lead to lawlessness,” the state government said in the SLP.

The state argued that if the Governor has any doubts on the bills, she can seek clarifications but she cannot sit on them. “If she raises any issues, we will clarify them. She cannot sit on them and the mandate of the Constitution in this regard is clearly in favour of the state,” the government contended.

This is the second time that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has knocked the court’s door against the Governor.

Last month, the government moved Telangana High Court seeking direction to the Governor to give her approval to the state Budget for 2023-24. The court, however, had suggested both sides sort out the issue amicably.

Counsels of both the state government and Raj Bhavan had agreed to a compromise formula. While the government agreed to begin the Budget session of the Legislature with the Governor’s speech and the latter came forward to approve the Budget.

In November, the Governor had dismissed the allegations by BRS that her office was sitting on some Bills forward by the state government for her assent. She stated that she is taking time for assessing and analysing the Bills before giving her consent.

Education minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy had subsequently met the Governor to clarify her doubts on the Common Recruitment Board Bill.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has asked Vice Chancellor of Kaloji Narayayan Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) to conduct a thorough inquiry into the suicide of medical student Dharavathi Preethi due to alleged harassment by her senior.

The Raj Bhavan has sent a letter to the Vice-Chancellor calling for a thorough inquiry into all possible angles to find out the truth. He has been asked to submit a detailed report.

The Raj Bhavan also sought a report on Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in place to deal with such incidents of harassment and ragging in the university.

The letter also mentioned about installation and functioning of CCTV cameras in medical colleges and teaching hospitals.

The Raj Bhavan also flagged issues like functioning of Grievance Redress Cell, addressing the concerns of victims, evaluation of the feedback from the medicos and their working conditions.

The governor has taken serious note of the incident in which Preethi, a MD student of Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in Warangal committed suicide.

Preethi, a first year student of the post graduate (MD) in the department of Anaesthesia in Warangal allegedly took a lethal injection while on duty at MGM Hospital on February 22.

The same day she was shifted to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad, where she succumbed on February 26.

The letter also mentioned that precious time was lost in shifting the student to NIMS. It was felt that she could have been kept under treatment at MGM.

Last rites of the 26-year-old tribal were performed at Girni Thanda in Jangaon district on Monday afternoon.

While she was under treatment at NIMS, the governor had visited the hospital to enquire about her condition and to console the family members.

Warangal police on February 24 arrested Preethi’s senior M. A. Saif, a second year student in the department of anaesthesia.

Police said targeted harassment of Preethi by her senior could have driven her to take the extreme step.

Police booked Saif for abetment to suicide. He was also booked under Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Anti-Ragging Act.

Amid the continuing rift with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday called for respecting the Constitutional offices in the true spirit of the Indian Constitution.

Soundararajan, who has slammed the state government on many occasions for not respecting the office of the Governor, said that acceptance and adherence to the Constitutional values and respecting the Constitutional offices cannot be selective.

She was addressing a programme organised at the Raj Bhavan to mark Constitution Day.

“What we require is adherence and respect to the Constitutional offices in the true spirit of the Indian Constitution,” she said.

“The acceptance and adherence to the Constitutional values and respecting the Constitutional offices cannot be selective. We must ensure unquestionable loyalty to our Constitution and there is no hesitation to show that the Constitution is supreme in our country,” the Governor added.

In recent times, Soundararajan has openly targeted Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his government for not giving her respect and for not following the protocols.

Interestingly, her latest remarks came on the same day when she launched a scathing attack on the TRS government during an interview to a television channel.

“We must understand the value of our Constitution in its true spirit, its uniqueness that guarantees the rights of all and protects the vulnerable,” she said.

She stated that drafting of Article 3 of the Constitution is one of the major examples of how the Constitution envisages the challenges and tries to incorporate necessary protections to the vulnerable.

“Thanks to Article 3, creation of Telangana state was possible and six-decade long aspiration of people was fulfilled,” she said.

The Governor said that by celebrating Constitution Day, the country is remembering the architects of the Indian Constitution and paying rich tributes to their sacrifices in selfless service to the country.

“We must be thankful to them for the visionary approach in endowing this country with the best written Constitution in the world,” she said.

“The Constitution has laid greater emphasis on human values and noble ideas like justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The Constitution is the main source of the country’s strong unity and integrity in its unique diversity. For more than seven decades, despite many challenges, the Indian Constitution proved to be supreme in ensuring the country’s rock solid democratic foundations,” she added.

A unique human milk bank has come up in Hyderabad which will cater to preterm babies and other infants in need of milk.

Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday launched the milk bank at KIMS Cuddles in Kondapur on the eve of World Prematurity Day on November 17.

Several eligible mothers have shown willingness to donate milk voluntarily.

The banks can store milk for up to one year. Whenever the need arises, the milk is withdrawn and used after it is brought to a liquid state.

KIMS Cuddles expects that on an average at least five babies will be requiring human milk from its bank on any given day.

The Governor recalled that as a practicing pediatrician at Thanjavur, she came across several instances from which she understood the inadequate supply of breast milk for new-born babies. That is when she realised the need for having human milk banks, particularly after she saw the yeomen services rendered by such banks while on a visit to a Mumbai hospital.

“KIMS will help save 400 preterm (pre-maturely born) babies and also other infants in urgent need of milk when the mothers cannot breastfeed through their new project. I appreciate all kindhearted mothers, who, with their willingness to donate to the human milk bank, are securing the life of someone else’s baby.”

She lauded the initiative taken by Dr Bhaskar Rao, Managing Director, KIMS Hospitals.

“The need for a human milk bank has emerged because of the huge gap in the demand and supply of mother’s milk. The milk bank is like a godsend opportunity as it addresses this lacuna to a significant extent. The good sign is that when mother’s milk is inaccessible, especially for a premature baby, donor human milk emerges as the saviour,” observed Dr. Aparna from KIMS Cuddles.

According to Dr. V. Nanda Kishore, Paediatric Intensivist and HOD – Paediatrics, KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad, mother’s milk can reduce mortality and morbidities in such vulnerable neonates. It contains all the vital nutrients and growth factors that a baby needs for optimal physical and mental growth. Human milk is a source of anti-infective factors that are proven to reduce infections and necrotising Enterocolitis, which are the major causes of mortality in preterm neonates, she said.

“KIMS Cuddles has created such a bank to achieve one hundred per cent human milk feeding in preterm very low-weight neonates. As part of our regimen, our trained staff screens the donor mothers, counsel them appropriately, screen them for infections, collect milk, pasteurize, screen and distribute milk to babies in dire need,” D. Aparna said.

“Our neonatal unit at KIMS Cuddles caters to nearly 150 newborn babies each month, including intramural and extramural births. Our estimates are that up to 20-25 per cent of these admissions are preterm neonates less than 34 weeks gestation. These are the babies who can only be fed mother’s milk,” she said.

According to gynecologist Dr. Shilpi Reddy, Clinical Director – Obstetrics & Gynecology, as most of the sick newborns and premature babies do not get MoM in the first week of life, human milk bank is a boon for them.

Three healthy mothers who volunteered to donate on umpteen occasions were felicitated. The average percentage of donations by these three mothers, Madhuri, Roopa and Anusha, is around 15 litres, which is a stupendous contribution.

“There are many mothers who have been approaching us stating that they produce more milk than what their babies require. They are duly counselled and motivated about how their help can save many preterm babies,” Dr. Aparna asserts.

Amid widening rift with the Telangana government, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday said that she suspect her phone is being tapped and alleged that there is an undemocratic situation in the state

“I’m afraid my phone is tapped. My privacy is being infringed,” she told reporters at Raj Bhavan.

The Governor slammed the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for dragging Raj Bhavan into MLAs’ poaching episode.

She said the official TRS handle claimed that Raj Bhavan is involved in the case.

“This is a false allegation. My office is transparent and all my works are in the open,” she said.

“They mentioned Tushar. He was my ADC. Tushar was calling me for two days to wish me Deepavali. Only after that, they mentioned Tushar’s name,” she said.

She was apparently referring to Tushar Vellapally, who contested Lok Sabha elections against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad on BJP ticket in 2019.

At a news conference on November 3, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had stated that one of the three accused arrested while trying to lure four MLAs of TRS spoke to Tushar over phone.

KCR also released a photograph of Tushar with union home minister Amit Shah.

She denied that she is sitting on bills sent by the state government to Raj Bhavan including Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, 2022.

She said she wanted some clarifications from the state government on the new procedure to be adopted for appointment of vice-chancellors of universities.

The Governor said her action was projected as if she was stalling the process of recruitment.

She claimed that ever since she took oath as Governor, she had been suggesting the government fill vacant posts, teaching and non-teaching, as early as possible.

She clarified that she wants to know from the government why a new recruitment board be formed when a procedure is already there and what is the new procedure going to be followed, how the board is to be formed and whether this will be in accordance with the UGC rules.

Soundararajan also claimed that only after she called the press conference that the education minister stated that she would go to Raj Bhavan to give the clarifications.

On a students’ body threatening to lay siege to Raj Bhavan if the approval to the bill was delayed, the governor said students’ fraternity was welcomed to come to Raj Bhavan and submit their memorandum.

“Raj Bhavan’s doors are open. It is not like Pragati Bhavan (official residence of the chief minister). I have democratised Raj Bhavan,” she remarked.

Reiterating the allegation that the Governor’s protocol was not being followed during her visit to districts, she wanted to know from the government what action it had taken against collectors and superintendents of police who were not following the protocol.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Friday defended her action in receiving representations from people by holding ‘Praja Darbar’, saying she wants to act as a bridge between the state government and the public.

Soon after holding the maiden ‘Praja Darbar’ as ‘Mahila Darbar’ at Raj Bhavan to hear the grievances of women, she dismissed the criticism that she is crossing her limits.

She argued that when she as the highest Constitutional authority in the state is willing to serve people, why should she be denied the opportunity.

The Governor, who received over 500 petitions from women, did not agree that it amounts to running a parallel government.

“This is a Constitutional office. I am practising only what should be practised by a Constitutional authority,” she said.

“Those saying it is unconstitutional should first respect the Constitution,” the Governor said when asked about the statements by leaders of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) describing her action as unconstitutional.

“I repeatedly said that I want to be a catalyst, a bridge between the government and the people. There is no politics in this. I can’t agree that Raj Bhavan should be shut or it should not be approachable. Each and every office, whether Constitutional or elected, is for the people,” she said.

“Some of the critics say how Raj Bhavan can conduct this (Praja Darbar). Every office is for the people, whether it is of panchayat president or member or the Constitutional office of Governor. When I have the capacity of meeting the people and when I can communicate and get the message from people and convey it to the government, why should there be any objection,” she asked.

“I am not a controversial person and I want to do something good for the people of Telangana. I am a doctor and I can understand the problems of people,” she added.

She reiterated her allegation that the state government is not respecting the Constitutional office of the Governor, alleging that the government is not following the protocol.

“They are not receiving me wherever I go. There is an SOP to be followed but it is not being followed. However, this is not going to stop my activities. I am not asking anything for myself. When people are affected, the government should respond,” she said.

Replying to a query, Tamilisai said she had sought a report in two days from the state authorities on the recent incident of gang-rape of a minor in Hyderabad, but the same has not been submitted yet.

She termed the delay as unfortunate and added that she is concerned over the media reports about the incident.

“I always respect a democratically-elected government. It should also respond and respect the Constitutional authority. You know the powers of a Constitutional authority. I am not asking anything for myself,” she said.

The Governor said she chose to start ‘Praja Darbar’ as ‘Mahila Darbar’ because she first wanted to hear the unheard voices. She said the recent incidents of sexual assault on minor girls and women in Hyderabad are one of the reasons for starting the programme with women.

“When the woman holding the highest Constitutional office in the state is not getting respect or response, I can imagine the fate of the downtrodden,” she said.

Tamilisai urged the government to respond and respect whatever messages are sent through Raj Bhavan based on the representations received from the people.

The Governor said Friday’s ‘Mahila Darbar’ had participants from the Red Cross, doctors, lawyers and NGOs to respond to the applications.

“No application will be ignored. For smaller monetary help, referral to hospitals or institutions, they will be handled by the office of the Governor, but I request the government departments concerned to respond to the other requests received by the Raj Bhavan during the Praja Darbar,” she said.