DMK announces ‘Raj Bhavan gherao’ stir as Guv seeks time to decide on 7.5 per cent quota bill

Remarking that the approach of the Governor who acts on the advice of the BJP-led Centre and usual submissive attitude of the ruling AIADMK on an urgent issue were a big threat to the pride of the Legislative Assembly, Stalin said the inaction of the Governor for over a month has created a distressful situation where the students do not know if they would get admitted to medical colleges despite clearing NEET.

Meanwhile, Stalin also released a copy of Raj Bhavan’s reply to him in which the Governor had informed that he would need three to four weeks to arrive at a decision on the issue and the same was informed to the Ministerial delegation which met him recently.

Accusing the AIADMK Ministers of deliberately withholding information about the Governor seeking time to decide on the issue, Stalin asked the Ministerial delegation to clarify to the state people if they were reportedly asked to implement 10 per cent EWS reservation in the state in return for giving assent to 7.5 per cent horizontal reservation, a proposition which would destroy social justice.

Referring to the Chief Minister’s silence on the issue despite his offer of working together to get assent for the 7.5% reservation, Stalin said the CM’s silence only shows that he lacks courage to fight against the Governor who delays his approval for the Bill, and it remains doubtful if the state could delay medical counseling or admission to medical colleges till the one-month time sought by the Governor.

VCK MP D Ravi Kumar on Thursday urged President Ramnath Kovind, to recall Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit. “President should recall the Governor who is refusing to give consent to NEET Bill which intends to provide reservation to government school students and is acting against the interests of Tamil people,” said Ravi Kumar, in a tweet. The state, in September, passed the NEET Bill to provide 7.5 per cent internal reservation to government school students, but even after close to 40 days of passing the Bill, the Governor had not given consent to it. Opposition parties and even parties in alliance with AIADMK had questioned the delay in Governor’s consent but no action had been taken. Ravi Kumar said that right from the day of appointment Governor had been acting against the interests of Tamil Nadu. “Be it the case of release of seven Rajiv convicts or the appointment of vice chancellors, Governor had been acting against the interests of the state. The state government and political parties should raise a united voice to remove the Governor,” said Ravi Kumar.