CHENNAI: Three days after the face-off between the state government and Governor RN Ravi in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, a DMK parliamentary members’ team led by state law minister S Regupathi met President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi on Thursday and handed over a letter sent by Chief Minister MK Stalin to to the President.
Meanwhile, the governor is scheduled to leave for New Delhi on Friday and is expected to return to Chennai on Saturday. Though the governor’s visit a day after the DMK delegation’s meet with President has sparked speculation, Raj Bhavan sources are tight-lipped about the purpose of the visit.
According to a press release issued by the state government late on Thursday on the CM’s letter, MK Stalin, in his note to the President, had explained that since the governor didn’t read the approved draft text and incorporated many new ideas that were not mentioned in the approved text, and since this was a violation of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly conventions, the CM had brought an amendment to record that the names of leaders not only admired by Tamil Nadu but also by India were not read by the governor.
The resolution was passed with the approval of the members in the House, the CM’s letter said. “A governor should be above political opinions and differences. But Governor RN Ravi is pursuing an ideological, political conflict with the government of Tamil Nadu.”
Prez has promised to consider our representation, says Baalu
This is totally against the constitution. The governor continues to demonstrate that he has a strong antipathy towards Tamil people, our distinct culture, literature and politics. Dravidian principles, equality, social justice, rationality and self-respect espoused by the people are unacceptable to him.
Also, on public platforms, he has been expressing views against Tamil culture, literature and social order,” the CM’s note said. “On January 9, the governor behaved in a way that insulted the members of the assembly. As per Article 163 (1) of the constitution, the governor has to act as per the aid and advice of the council of ministers. The governor should not change the ideas in the speech or add new ideas according to his personal political views. But on that day (January 9), the governor avoided reading several parts of the speech prepared by the government and approved by him in violation of constitutional rules and conventions,” the letter said.
The CM also requested the President to uphold the principles of democracy and protect the dignity of the constitution. The governor has also been stalling important government bills by not giving his assent to them.
By citing unnecessary trivial reasons, he is not only reducing the speed of the government’s operations, but he seems to have also taken up the work of the judiciary into his own hands, the CM’s note said.
The CM had also urged the President to intervene and request Governor RN Ravi to ensure that he follows the advice of the cabinet as per the constitution.
The CM has also requested the President to advice the governor to shun his political and ideological bias and work for Tamil Nadu and its people without violating long-standing traditions.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the President, former union minister and DMK Lok Sabha floor leader TR Baalu told reporters in New Delhi, “We have requested the President to go through (the representation) and take appropriate action as (she) may deem fit. She had promised to look into it.”
Comparing the earlier representation submitted by MPs of Secular Progressive Alliance of Tamil Nadu to the office of the President in November 2022, TR Baalu said the earlier one was ‘political’ in nature while the CM’s letter was a government communication.
Baalu accused the governor of trying to impose “RSSSS sanathana policies” in Tamil Nadu and asserted that it would not succeed in the “land of Periyar, Anna and Kalaignar.”
He also alleged that the governor had insulted the people of Tamil Nadu and the national anthem by walking out of the House on Monday. DMK MPs A Raja, P Wilson, and NR Elango were also present during the meeting.