Chennai : Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit will not tolerate any attacks on Constitutional bodies. A statement from the Raj Bhavan on Friday said no attack whether direct or indirect will be tolerated.

“In a democracy there can be a healthy exchange of ideas. But no threats direct or indirect on a constitutional authority as the Honourable Governor will be tolerated. The Raj Bhavan can and will never be cowed down by actions aimed at hurting the dignity of the High Office,” the statement said.

“There is only absolute falsehood and not a shred of truthfulness in the links attributed to the Honourable Governor or the Raj Bhavan to the issue concerning a college Assistant Professor of Aruppukottai known by the name of Tmt. Nirmala Devi,” Raj Bhavan said.

Nirmala Devi was arrested by the police in a `sex-for-marks’ scandal. She is alleged to have lured girl students to provide sexual favours to senior officials of Madurai Kamaraj University.

“The statement given by her before the police will itself bear out the truth,” Raj Bhavan said.

Based on a complaint by the governor’s office, Tamil magazine Nakkheeran Editor R.R.Gopal, popularly known as ‘Nakkheeran Gopal’ for publishing articles linking Governor Banwarilal Purohit and R.Rajagopal, Additional Chief Secretary to Governor to the alleged scandal.

A trial court dismissed the police case against the editor and released him.

“Every issue has its limits and Raj Bhavan was maintaining a dignified silence for more than six months since the issue came to light since the law was taking its course and the matter was under investigation and subsequently placed before the Honourable court for trial,” thr Raj Bhavan said.

It is shocking to see the incident emerging as a piece of yellow journalism in an issue of the magazine Nakkeeran in late September after the charge sheets had been filed and all investigation completed.

“Those who claim to be engaged in investigative journalism have not even bothered to verify the actual statement given by Tmt. Nirmala Devi before the police,” the statement said.

The Raj Bhavan asserted that Assistant Professor Devi had never entered Raj Bhavan in the last one year and she does not have any acquaintance with Purohit or Rajagopal or any of the officers working there.

“It can only be a deep sense of hatred towards goodness and truth that could have driven any journalist to have written the articles in the manner they appeared in the Nakkeeran,” Raj Bhavan said.

Several political leaders had opposed the arrest of Gopal and senior journalist N. Ram of The Hindu Group had submitted to the court that there was no relation to Secton 124 of Indian Penal Code and the case against Gopal.