DMK alliance to approach President, seek Tamil Nadu governor recall

CHENNAI: Upping the ante against the Tamil Nadu governor, the ruling DMK and its allies will be approaching the President soon with a memorandum signed by all its MPs demanding the immediate withdrawal of RN Ravi from the post.

This comes days after the government alleged the TN government delayed transferring the probe into the Coimbatore blast to the National Investigation Agency. 

Former union minister and DMK Lok Sabha floor leader TR Baalu has been tasked with getting the signatures of MPs and handing over the memorandum to the President at the earliest. Baalu, on Tuesday, wrote to all DMK MPs and leaders of alliance parties urging them to sign the document by Thursday, party sources said. 

According to DMK sources, the memorandum argues for Governor Ravi to be recalled on the ground that he is preventing the elected government from performing its duties by not approving Bills passed by the Assembly. The memorandum contends that by failing to approve the Bills, the governor has become a hurdle to the state government’s efforts to fulfil the demands of the people who voted for it. 

Along with the memorandum, the party will be attaching the Bills pending with Governor Ravi and explanations on how each Bill will benefit the people of the state. Baalu will seek an appointment with the President once all members have signed and will meet her with a delegation of MPs. 

The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes the Congress, both Left parties, IUML, MDMK, KDMK and VCK, has 38 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 12 in the Rajya Sabha. Of the 50 MPs, all but IJK MP Dr TR Paarivendhar, who contested on the DMK symbol but later left the alliance, are expected to sign. As on Wednesday, at least 10 MPs had already signed the document. 

Cong, VCK on board with move against Governor

“This morning the state (Congress) president KS Alagiri told me to sign the memorandum to ensure the support of our party. Given the gravity of the situation and the governor’s activities, this is a genuine demand. All Congress MPs (eight in Lok Sabha, one in Rajya Sabha) will sign without a second thought,” one Lok Sabha MP from the grand old party told TNIE. Leaders of the Left parties, IUML and VCK also told TNIE that their MPs would sign the document.

Baalu had already demanded the recall of Governor Ravi in the first week of January while speaking to reporters in New Delhi, alleging he’d failed to give due respect to the elected state government and hadn’t sent the NEET bill to the Centre. DMK Lok Sabha MPs again spoke against the Governor in Parliament on March 15. Meanwhile, DMK’s mouthpiece Murasoli has published at least eight articles, including four editorials, against Ravi for his alleged actions against the state government and comments on Dravidian ideology.

Of 50 MPs, 49 will ink the memorandum
The DMK-led alliance has 38 MPs in Lok Sabha and 12 MPs in Rajya Sabha. Of them, 49 are expected to sign the memorandum seeking Ravi’s recall. IJK LS MP Paarivendhar stood on the DMK symbol but left the alliance. He is unlikely to sign