Governor Kalraj Mishra biography launch: No role in marketing, says Raj Bhavan after controversy

The Sunday Express reported that the vice-chancellors of 27 state universities who attended the book launch were given 19 copies of the book and a bill of Rs 68,383 along with a free copy.

The Rajasthan Raj Bhavan on Sunday has denied any role in marketing Governor Kalraj Mishra’s biography, titled Nimitt Maatra Hoon Main (I am just a medium), after The Sunday Express reported that vice-chancellors of 27 state universities who attended the book launch were given 19 copies of the book and a bill of Rs 68,383 along with a free copy.

“Some news has been circulating regarding the marketing of the book ‘Kalraj Mishra – Nimitt Maatra Hoon Main’, which was released at the Raj Bhavan on July 1. This is primarily personal information between the publisher IIME, the research institute and the buyer. The publisher had published the book and sought permission to release it in the Raj Bhavan, which was given to him. But Raj Bhavan has no role, any affiliation in the business activities of marketing the book,” Rajasthan Raj Bhavan said in a series of tweets.

On July 1, two cartons of books were loaded in V-Cs’ vehicles and the bills were handed over their drivers of after the launch party. While the bill given to them listed five titles, the cartons only contained copies of the biography. The bill, accessed by this newspaper, showed the 19 books were charged at Rs 3,999 each, which adds up to Rs 75,981. After a discount of 10 per cent, the total comes to Rs 68,383.

“In the meeting with the Governor, someone took the names and numbers of our drivers. We thought it was perhaps to give them food and water,” a V-C, who did not wish to be named, had told The Sunday Express, expressing surprise at how the whole thing was done.

The biography, which has been co-authored by Mishra’s long-standing OSD Govind Ram Jaiswal, states that proceeds from the sales will be spent on research projects on Rajasthan and social science, and will not be used by any person for personal gain.

The bills to the V-Cs give the bank account details of the International Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (IIME), Jaipur, implying that it be paid for the copies. The co-author with the Governor’s OSD of the biography is Dr D K Taknet, who has been associated with the IIME since long. The “lead researcher” on the book is Taknet’s wife Sujata Taknet, who is also associated with the IIME.

Mishra’s biography had been launched by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and among those present were Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is an MP from Rajasthan, and Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi.

 

Source: Read Full Article