CHENNAI: Majority of political parties in the state, barring the AIADMK, BJP and AMMK, demanded the resignation of Governor RN Ravi, saying he has lost the moral authority to continue in office, after the Supreme Court pulled up the governor for withholding assent to bills passed by the Assembly.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko said the verdict made it clear that the governor’s actions were unconstitutional and politically motivated. “He has lost the moral authority to continue in office,” he said.
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan pointed out that it was inappropriate for Ravi to remain in office after such a verdict. “However, he is not a statesman of such maturity and decency to voluntarily step down. Therefore, allowing a person who has violated the Constitution to continue as governor would amount to disrespecting the Supreme Court verdict,” he added. Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) leader Velmurugan and Tamil Desiya Periyakkam leader P Maniyarasan also demanded the governor’s removal.
CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the ruling upheld the principles of federalism and the governor’s “repeated defiance of constitutional norms” justified his immediate removal. Echoing similar views, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan said the verdict offered a strong safeguard for all states and urged the President to dismiss Ravi without delay.
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai pointed out that the judgment reaffirmed that all power lies with the elected government and not unelected appointees. “This is a slap in the face of the BJP’s attempts to weaken the Constitution,” he said.
“I hope this marks the end of unelected gatekeepers turning constitutional posts into political outposts,” said MNM founder Kamal Haasan. Manithaneya Makkal Katchi’s MH Jawahirullah hailed the ruling as a major win for legislative jurisprudence.
Terming the verdict a landmark moment, PMK founder S Ramadoss, in a statement, urged the state government to start filling the vice-chancellor posts in state universities that remain vacant.