Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan resigns over sexual assault allegations

Facing sexual harassment charges, Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan tonight resigned after a section of Raj Bhavan employees demanded his removal for "seriously compromising" the dignity of the gubernatorial office.

Official sources said that 67-year-old Shanmuganathan tendered his resignation from the post. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had said earlier in the day said that he was waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Ministry to take a call.

This sudden development comes on the back of an scathing letter written by a few employees of Raj Bhavan to PM Narendra Modi in which they accused the Governor of compromising the dignity of his post and asked the PM to immediately remove him.

Sources said that the Governor has sent his resignation to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The 5-page letter against the Governor was sent by about 100 employees of the Raj Bhavan. The letter stated that the Governor had turned the Raj Bhavan into a Young Ladies club.

"He has seriously compromised the dignity of the Raj Bhavan and made it a Young Ladies' Club. It has become a place where young ladies come and go at will on direct orders of the Governor... Many of them have direct access to his bedroom," the letter alleged.

The Raj Bhawan employees also alleged that the Governor had "selected" only women in various posts and that he had even shunted his male official private secretary to his secretariat.

The letter also said that he was rude, arrogant and has demaned the Constitutional position he held. The Governor was also accused of humiliating his senior staff and lying.

Late last year, a young woman had accused the Governor of molesting her when she had met him for the post of Public Relations Officer. Shanmuganathan had rubbished those charges at that time.

Shanmuganathan is a veteran RSS activist from Tamil Nadu and was appointed Meghalaya Governor in May 2015. Last year, he was also given additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh.