Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi (R) has had a series of run-ins with MK Stalin-led DMK government.
Chennai:
Calling Governor RN Ravi “a threat to peace”, Tamil Nadu’s ruling party DMK has submitted a memorandum to the President to seek his removal for “obstructing a democratically elected government from serving the people”. He instigates communal hatred, the DMK has alleged.
“Governor RN Ravi has violated the oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law,” the DMK said in the submission to President Droupadi Murmu. He unduly delays assent to Bills passed by the assembly, it has alleged.
“Some might even consider his statements seditious as his statements attempt to excite disaffection towards the government,” the party led by Chief Minister MK Stalin said further, terming RN Ravi unfit for the constitutional office. “He deserves to be sacked,” it said.
Governor Ravi has not reacted to this.
The DMK had earlier this month written to “all the like-minded MPs” urging them to back a proposal seeking RN Ravi’s removal.
There are 20 Bills awaiting the governor’s assent in Tamil Nadu. The law says a governor can be appointed or removed by the President. If a Bill is sent by the state cabinet for assent, the governor can send it back once. If the cabinet re-sends the bill to the governor, they cannot send it back.
Tamil Nadu is only one of three southern states — others being Kerala and Telangana — where the governors and the ruling parties are having almost daily run-ins.
Party leaders have accused these governors of acting like “puppets of the Centre”, seeing BJP-backed political vendetta behind their actions. The parties — prominent regional forces — have been looking beyond party and provincial lines to consolidate forces and take on the Centre’s ruling BJP.
In Tamil Nadu’s case, there’s alleged interference from Telangana’s governor too.
The DMK has accused Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who was a senior BJP leader in Tamil Nadu before taking office, of “poking her nose” in the state’s politics. Ms Soundararajan is also under fire in Telangana from Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s TRS over recruitments in state universities.
DMK mouthpiece Murasoli responded to Governor Soundararajan’s remark that the party’s top political family has Telugu roots. “Telangana Governor should not do politics in Tamil Nadu. This is not her job. Let her resign and do politics in Tamil Nadu,” it said, adding that Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi already “exceeds limits and makes remarks causing confusion”.
