Hyderabad, Feb 1 : A day after Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan not participated in the 74th Vardanti programme of Mahatma Gandhi at Bapu Ghat here and the Congress party described this as unpardonable, Raj Bhavan on Monday night clarified that ‘as there is observance of two minutes silence at a fixed time on that day’, she paid floral tributes and respects to the Father of the Nation in Union Territory of Puducherry being the Lt Governor. A Raj Bhavan Communique said, As the programmes on Gandhi Vardhanti include observance of two minutes of silence at a fixed time that is from 11:00 AM to 11:02 AM, this time the Hon’ble Governor & Lt. Governor of Puducherry participated in Gandhi Vardhanti along with Hon’ble Chief Minister and Council of Ministers and offered floral tributes and respects to Mahatma Gandhi in Puducherry on December 30. This is why she could not participate in the Gandhi Vardhanti programme at Bapughat in Hyderabad on that day, the Communique said. The Governor of Telangana & Lt. Governor of Puducherry has the highest respect for Mahatma Gandhi Ji. The same is quite evident from her attending of Gandhi Jayanthi celebration on October 2 last year both in Telangana State & Puducherry U.T. She participated in Gandhi Jayanthi celebration at Mahatma Gandhi Square, Beach Road, Puducherry at 0800 hours on October 2. After that, she travelled to Hyderabad and participated in the celebrations at Bapughat at 10:45 A.M on the same day and paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi Ji, the communique clarified Earlier, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Senior Vice President G Niranjan said the Governor & Chief Minister’s absence at Bapughat on the 74th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is unfortunate and unpardonable. He said the absence of the Governor and Chief Minister is nothing but insulting the father of the Nation. In protest against the absence of the Governor and Chief Minister, Senior Congress leaders observed ‘Mauna Deeksha’ (silent protest) at Gandhi Statue for 15 minutes and demanded them not to commit such lapses in future. (UNI)