Constitution doesn’t restrict Governors: Tamilisai
HYDERABAD: Maintaining that there was no gap between the Raj Bhavan and Pragathi Bhavan, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Friday said that she was assessing the names cleared by the State Cabinet for the Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota to examine if the nominees meet the criteria. She also revealed that she received the TSRTC Bill from the Law Department on Thursday. In August, the BRS government sent the names of Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana for nomination to the Council under the Governor’s quota.
“Governor’s quota is not a political nomination. The nominees should meet certain criteria such as cultural, sports or social service. If the nominee fits that criteria, I don’t have any hesitation to sign. If they don’t fit the criteria, I need some time to assess. If the nominees don’t fit any of the categories, I will convey it to the government. Even the Constitution doesn’t restrict the Governor. I am not taking this as an advantage,” Tamilisai said.
She was responding to questions after releasing a coffee-table book — Passions for People’s Progress- Planned Pursuits — at a function marking the completion of her four years in office. During her interaction with the media, the Governor refrained from making statements against the K Chandrasekhar Rao government, refusing to answer the “controversial aspects”. However, she expressed her dissatisfaction with the lack of infrastructure in welfare hostels, a few government medical facilities, and the non-implementation of Central schemes in the State.
Referring to the TSRTC (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill 2023, which she said she had received from the Law Department on Thursday, the Governor stated that her focus was people-oriented when clearing Bills passed by the Legislature. She said that she wanted the Legislature to know the flaws, if any, in the Bills sent to her for her assent.“If there is (even) a small negativity, I can project my concern and that can be rectified. Otherwise if it is good for the people, I will immediately sign,” she asserted.
Spelling out her personal stand on the controversy sparked by the comments of Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sanatana Dharma, she condemned the statement stating she is ideologically against such comments. She said such remarks by DMK leaders were not new and they have been doing politics by trying to reduce Sanatana Dharma to caste for 50 years. “TN CM Stalin won’t wish people on Diwali, Vinayaka Chavithi, Krishna Jayanti. Then why insult one section of the people?” she asked.
Tamilisai also extended support to changing the name of the country from India to Bharat while quoting a popular Tamil poem explaining how she was connected to the idea of Bharat from her childhood.
Clarifying that former president Ram Nath Kovind’s recent consultations with Governors were not connected to simultaneous elections, she said, “The message I have received from other Raj Bhavans is that he (Kovind) did not meet Governors in connection with ‘One Nation, One Election’.”
However, she welcomed the one-election concept saying that it will cut costs and enable State governments to fulfil education budgetary allocations.