Hyderabad: Justifying the transfer of Tamil Nadu Governor P S Ramamohan Rao, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today (Oct 30, 2004) said it was well within the Constitutional norms and disapproved of the way the transcript of his conversation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has been made public.

"It is a privileged matter and should not have been made public in this manner. I will not respond to this. It is for the people who have done it (disclosing the conversation) to respond," Patil told reporters in Hyderabad when asked about the standoff between Jayalalithaa and the Centre on gubernatorial reshuffle.

He said the Governor's position should not be dragged into controversies.

"Whatever we have done was within the purview of the Constitution," he said when asked about Jayalalithaa's charge that the State Government was not consulted before transferring the Governor.

Patil was in Hyderabad to participate in the Passing Out Parade of the 56th batch of IPS probationers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy on the city outskirts.