DMK-led Secular alliance MPs petition Prez for Guv withdrawal

CHENNAI: MPs of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) led by the DMK have ‘submitted’ their memorandum to President Draupadi Murmu, demanding the immediate recall of Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi for violating the Constitutional oath.

The MPs have also accused the Governor of inciting communal hatred in the State, a charge so far not levelled against any gubernatorial head of the State.

In their nine-page memorandum dated November 2, which also includes an annexure listing out the 20 Bills pending with the Tamil Nadu Governor, the MPs said that Ravi has “violated the oath he took under Article 159 of the Constitution to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law and to devote himself to the service and well-being of the people of Tamil Nadu.”

’Guv inciting communal hatred’

Referring to some of the recents statements of the Governor, which were “made with a calculated intent to incite hatred and create communal unrest among the people, ” the memorandum said, “He is a threat to the peace and tranquillity of the State. Some might even consider his statements as seditious as his statements bring or attempt to bring into hatred or contempt, or excite or attempt to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law. Therefore by his conduct and actions, RN Ravi has proved that he is unfit to hold the constitutional office of Governor and therefore he deserves to be sacked immediately.”

Remarking that Ravi has developed an unfortunate propensity to publicly profess his lack of faith in the secular ideals of the country and frequently engages in divisive rhetoric, the MPs submitted that the governor has been unabashedly propagating dangerous, divisive, religious rhetoric in public, which is unbecoming of a Governor. The MPs said that the Governor’s remarks about Sanata dharma, Thirukural and denouncement of Dravidian heritage and Tamil pride have caused deep wounds to the Tamil sentiments.

“As per Article 156 (1), the Governor serves at the pleasure of the President. Therefore, we request Your Excellency to forthwith remove RN Ravi from the office of Governor of Tamil Nadu and preserve the values of the Constitution and oblige,” the MPs concluded in the memorandum submitted to the office of the president.

Accusing the governor of obturating the work done by Tamil Nadu government by openly contradicting its policy in public and unduly delaying assent to the Bills, the memorandum said that the governor is unduly delaying assent to the Bills passed by the state legislature, which amounts to interference in the administration of the state and transaction of business by the legislature. “It impedes and obstructs a democratically elected government from serving the people, which is ex-facie unconstitutional,” it added.

Referring to the recent appointment of faithful retired bureaucrats as Governors as quid pro quo, the MPs said that the persons do not have basic knowledge, integrity and impartiality to hold the office of Governor and become an embarrassment to the government and the state people.

“The image of the Governor as merely an agent of the Union sitting in State capitals and desperately seeking an opportunity to run down the state government when it is in the hands of a party opposed to the party ruling at center will deform our cooperative federalism and destroy our democracy. The Tamil Nadu Governor Ravi is a textbook example of this malady,” the memorandum added.