CHENNAI: Assembly Speaker M Appavu on Monday said the recent remarks of Governor RN Ravi went against the Constitution. He recalled how 10 DMK MLAs were disqualified during the MGR regime for ‘insulting’ the Constitution.
The speaker made these remarks while answering queries from reporters in Bengaluru after attending the second meeting of the committee to select the best State legislature for President’s award.
“When the governor assumed office in September last, he took oath as per Article 159 of the Constitution. Now, he says India is a religion-based country ... This is against the Constitution. Many legal experts have asked me about these remarks ... Political parties in TN are petitioning the President in this regard. After these developments, the governor visited Delhi. I don’t know whether he was summoned to the national capital,” the speaker said.
“The governor is the constitutional head of TN. If he acts against the Constitution, it is a crime. For example, in 1986, late leaders, including DMK leaders K Anbazhagan and others, were disqualified as MLAs for insulting the Constitution. They were disqualified because they took oath as MLAs promising to uphold the Constitution but acted against it by burning a chapter of the Constitution.”