CHENNAI: Within four months of assuming office, Governor RN Ravi faced the wrath of the ruling DMK with its parliamentary party leader TR Baalu demanding his resignation charging that he has been sitting on a Bill seeking exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET for four months.
Incidentally, the DMK’s demand for the Governor’s resignation came on a day when the Governor heaped praise on the Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on how he efficiently handled the second wave of the pandemic and the heavy rains.
Baalu, who is heading an all-party delegation to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to submit a memorandum seeking exemption from NEET for Tamil Nadu, told reporters in New Delhi that Shah’s attitude is “condemnable”.
“We have been trying to meet Amit Shah for the past 10 days. He asked us to come at noon on December 29 and we were told that the minister would meet us on another day. Till today, he has not given us an appointment. This attitude is condemnable. We suspect he is hesitating to meet us due to political reasons,” Baalu added.
He also said the delegation tried to meet the President. “But a communication from Rashtrapathi Bhavan said our representations have been forwarded to the Union home minister and he would take a decision on this. However, Amit Shah has not given us an appointment.”
As for the long wait to grant exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET, Baalu said, “The Governor is the sole reason for the delay. Only if he forwards the Bill can the Union home minister and President act on it. He took the oath of office promising to uphold the Constitution, but he has buried it by delaying the Bill. As such, it is better he steps down from the office.”
He also recalled that Chief Miniter MK Stalin and his ministerial colleagues called on the Governor on a few occasions to request him to forward the NEET Bill to the President. But for around four months, the Governor has been sitting on it. This is against the Constitution and the Governor knows this well, he said.
Baalu added that there is no other option for the Governor except to forward the Bill to the President. He cannot decide otherwise as per the Constitution, the DMK parliamentary party leader pointed out.
Asked whether the DMK would request the President to recall the Governor, Baalu said, “Wait and see. We are going back to Chennai. It is a decision to be taken by all leaders. In the past, such revolutionary decisions have been taken.”
‘Buried Constitution by delaying the Bill’
“He (Governor RN Ravi) took the oath of office promising to uphold the Constitution. But he has buried it by delaying the Bill. As such, it is better he steps down from the office,” TR Baalu said