CHENNAI: Barely four months after R V Arlekar took charge as governor of Tamil Nadu, the initial bonhomie between the Lok Bhavan and TVK government appears to be giving way to fresh friction, with both sides staking out their positions on the constitutional role of the governor.
Arlekar assumed office on March 12 after R N Ravi was transferred to West Bengal, ending a four-and-a-half-year tenure marked by frequent confrontations with the state government. His initial months in office were largely cordial, with even the customary governor’s address to the Assembly passing without controversy.
The relationship, however, appeared to sour over the past week after Arlekar, during a visit to Madurai, said the Lok Bhavan would have to intervene to ensure the restoration of the Vaigai river. His subsequent review meeting with district officials drew a sharp response from the government.
Electricity and Law Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar said the governor had no authority to review state departments or interfere in the functioning of an elected government, warning that any such intervention would be strongly opposed.
Amid the controversy, Arlekar on Saturday reiterated that the Lok Bhavan would remain open to the public and invited people to approach him with their grievances. He said he would take up their concerns with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and the government. On the same day, the Lok Bhavan also disclosed through its social media platform details of representations submitted by the DMK, AIADMK and BJP to the governor, going against usual practice.
The governor’s remarks drew criticism from the ruling alliance. CPI state secretary M Veeerapandian accused Arlekar of attempting to run a “parallel government” and described his actions as unconstitutional interference in the state’s administration. He urged CM Vijay to take legal and political steps and appealed to the President to intervene, citing Supreme Court rulings that define the constitutional limits of a governor’s powers.
Governor-state relations have frequently become contentious in Tamil Nadu. During the AIADMK regime, Governor Banwarilal Purohit’s review meetings with district collectors drew criticism from the then opposition DMK. That was followed by a prolonged confrontation between Governor Ravi and the DMK government over a range of constitutional issues, eventually prompting the state to constitute a high-level committee to examine union-state relations.