MYSURU: Alleging that governors of states threaten democracy and the federal system of the country, former chairman of the Permanent Backward Classes Commission and senior advocate Ravivarma Kumar called for the abolition of the governor’s post on Sunday.
Speaking on “Constitution and the Working of Federal System” at a talk organized by the Dasara National Conference Sub-Committee and the University of Mysore’s Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Research and Extension Centre at Senate Bhavan, Kumar stated that while the President and Prime Minister are elected in the country, there is one power center that is not an elected body.
“That power center is a nominee of the Union Government. Senior ministers at the Centre who are sacked from their posts are given the position of governors and sent to states, in what is considered a ‘rehabilitation center.’ The threat to democracy is that governors are appointed in states run by political parties not in power at the Centre, and governors tend to destabilize state governments, which is a threat to democracy and federalism,” he claimed.
Kumar asserted that Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan, and West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose have consistently clashed with their respective state governments over the clearance of bills and appointments. He argued that governors have made it impossible for state governments to carry out their administration.
“Through this, the federal structure has been weakened. Governors are not just a threat to democracy but also to federalism. We should demand the abolition of the governor’s posts if we want the federal system to survive in the country. If we launch agitations and succeed, the federal system will be healthy and alive,” he said.
He also claimed that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) poses a threat to the federal system. “The states, which are supreme according to the Constitution, have been reduced to bowing before the Centre with a begging bowl, urging that their financial dues be cleared. The Karnataka government has approached the Supreme Court to take its share. This is not good for the federal system,” he asserted.