CHENNAI: The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) has given a call for a massive demonstration in front of the Raj Bhavan in Chennai on April 12 to condemn Governor RN Ravi for airing controversial remarks on various issues in the public domain.
In a joint statement on Friday, TR Baalu of the DMK, KS Alagiri (Congress), K Balakrishnan (CPM), R Mutharasan (CPI), K Veeramani (DK), Vaiko (MDMK), Thol Thirumavalavan (VCK), MH Jawahirullah (MMK), KM Khader Mohideen (IUML), ER Eswaran (KMDK) and T Velmurugan of the TVK announced the protest plan.
The leaders of the SPA said the activities of Governor RN Ravi have been controversial and mysterious ever since he assumed office in Tamil Nadu. Unmindful of the oath he took to act in accordance with the constitution, Governor Ravi has been desperate to project himself as a representative of the BJP and RSS, the leaders said.
“Particularly, the views expressed by Ravi in support of Sanatana Dharma and Varnasrama Dharma in public domain are stupid in nature and he continues his attacks against Dravidian ideology. He claimed Thirukkural was translated wrongly and that principles of Karl Marx had divided India. When he made criticisms against the British Raj, many wondered whether the country is still under the British rule,” the statement said.
The leaders also charged that the governor has been acting against the judgments of the Supreme Court by delaying assent to bills passed by the Assembly. Ravi has also deviated from prepared text during his customary address and had insulted the Assembly. The governor has created an illusory world for himself and is expressing his views there, the leaders said.
“The governor holds the constitutional post to execute the decisions of the state cabinet. He can return a bill to the Assembly and if the Assembly re-adopts it and sends it back to him he has to give his assent to the bill. But this governor is not acting in accordance with the constitution; he is violating it,” the leaders said.
“The governor has kept 14 files uncleared so far. Particularly, the bill to ban online gambling is yet to get assent even after 42 people had ended their lives due to online gambling. The governor, who did not give a proper reply for keeping the files pending, chose to clarify about this in an interaction with civil services aspirants. He has also alleged that the protests against the Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi were foreign-funded. We firmly believe that if a governor ignores the loss of lives in police firing, we don’t need such a governor,” the leaders said.
The governor has said that withholding a bill would mean that the bill is dead and it is a decent language used by the constitution instead of the word ‘rejected’.This view of the governor who took the oath of secrecy shows his irresponsible behaviour.