Nagaland Governor RN Ravi has been transferred to Tamil Nadu, the Rashtrapati Bhawan said in a statement on Thursday.

Ravi is the Centre’s interlocutor for the Naga peace talks and was appointed Nagaland’s governor in 2019. Differences had emerged between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), with the latter demanding Ravi’s removal as the interlocutor last year.

The group, which had signed a peace treaty and started a dialogue with the government on the matter of a sovereign homeland in 1997, had accused Ravi of creating tensions among the parties involved in the negotiations.

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi will hold the additional charge of Nagaland till a regular appointment is made.

Banwarilal Purohit, the governor of Tamil Nadu before Ravi’s transfer, has been appointed to the same post in Punjab. He was holding additional responsibility of Punjab.

President Ram Nath Kovind also accepted the resignation of Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya. There is speculation that she will return to active politics ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year, according to The Hindu.

Lieutenant General (retired) Gurmit Singh has been appointed the Uttarakhand governor in Maurya’s place.

Singh retired from the Indian Army in February 2016, reported NDTV. He has held several positions in his four decades of service, including deputy chief of army staff and adjutant general and corps commander of strategic XV Corps.

“The above appointments will take effect from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices,” the Rashtrapati Bhawan statement said.