Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa on Tuesday refused to resign from his post, saying he wanted President Pranab Mukherjee to order his dismissal, PTI reported. Rajkhowa, who claimed he was asked to resign on "health grounds", said he wanted the Narendra Modi-led Union government to "use [the] provisions of Article 156 of the Constitution," to order his dismissal.

The governor said he was told about the government’s decision to ask him to resign on August 27. He added that he called Home Minister Rajnath Singh to verify the situation. "But the home minister clearly told me over the telephone that he knew nothing about it. Instead, he started telling me that I was doing good work in Arunachal Pradesh," Rajkhowa said. However, another "central minister" then called Rajkhowa on August 30 to inform him that "a decision had been taken at a high level" to ask him to resign on "health grounds" and vacate his post the next day.

The governor said he was "shocked, surprised and felt humiliated" by the turn of events. However, he clarified that he was prepared to resign on receiving an official order from the President. "I have kept all my belongings packed since August 30," he said. The events come around two months after the Supreme Court ordered the restoration of the Congress government in the state. The state’s new Chief Minister Pema Khandu proved his party’s majority in the Arunachal Assembly days after the order.