This is not the first time Razi has courted controversy. In March 2005, as Jharkhand governor Razi had invited Shibu Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha to form a government instead of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) that had staked claim with half the legislators supporting it.

He was then widely criticised for being partisan and was summoned by the president to New Delhi for an explanation. Subsequently, an NDA government led by Arjun Munda was sworn into office and the government went on to prove its majority on the floor of the house.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is in the capital, was non-committal over the controversy surrounding Razi.

'How can I say anything about the charges? How can I react to newspaper reports? There is no complaint against him in Assam,' said Gogoi.

Close aides to Gogoi added that Razi had hardly spent time in Guwahati after taking over as governor and had moved to the capital ostensibly on health grounds.