Ramrakhiani was shifted to the Agriculture Department, replacing Principal Secretary V R S Cowlagi, the senior most officer after Chief Secretary L S N Mukundan. Cowlagi, who used to officiate as Chief Secretary in Mukundan's absence, was sent out of the Secretariat to the Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC) as managing director.

GMDC Managing Director V V R Subbarao was asked to take over as the Additional Chief Secretary in the Home Department. The government also gave additional charge of the Parivartan Cell in the Chief Minister's Office, which had been headless for the last about three months, to Srinivas, Executive Director of Indextb.

While reasons for Cowlagi's transfer were not known, sources in the Secretariat attributed Ramrakhiani transfer to his differences with Pandya and pressure from the RSS-VHP lobby. Asked about the reasons for Ramrakhiani's removal, Pandya gave a laconic reply: ``It is the prerogative of the Chief Minister.''

Ramrakhiani's differences with the government cropped up in July-August when VHP men attacked Christians and Muslims at a number of places. He was known to be pressing the government to reign in VHP activists and other Sangh Parivar hardliners, but this was not liked by many in the government and the BJP, it is said.

They even tried to pressurise the Home Department to delay sending reports to the Raj Bhawan on incidents involving VHP and Bajrang Dal men. In the case of alleged disinterring of the coffin of a Christian at Kapadwanj in Kheda district, the report was not sent for may days in spite of the Raj Bhawan's asking. Therefore, the Governor took the unusual action of visiting the site.

Sources said that Ramrakhiani's firm stand on the latest incident, in which delegates to a Christian convention, organised by the Alpha Missionary Movement at Vadodara, were attacked by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal men on October 29, proved to be the proverbial last straw.

He ensured that the culprits, all owing allegiance to the VHP, were booked for the attack and a report on the incident was duly sent to the Raj Bhawan.

In this case also, the Governor was not sent a report for many days, although he had asked for it immediately after he learnt of the incident. It was only after the Governor decided to visit Vadodara last Saturday to see things for himself that the government sent him a report on Friday evening. The Governor then cancelled his visit.