Allies up the ante against Guv RN Ravi for 'withholding' assent to Bills passed by TN Assembly
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi (File)
CHENNAI: Allies of the ruling DMK on Saturday rallied behind the State government and upped their ante against Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi over the issue of his 'withholding' assent to the bills passed by the State Assembly after a prolonged delay.
Tamizhaga Valvurimai Katchi MLA T Velmurugan set the tone for the debate on the government resolution moved by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin during the special session of the State Assembly when he said that the Governor was driven by a particular ideology and acting against democratic values.
Velmurugan said that Governor R N Ravi must approve the re-adopted bills and leave Tamil Nadu.
Seconding his views, KDMK MLA Eswaran said that it was regrettable the Tamil Nadu government had to move the Supreme Court against the State Governor and the people were of the view that the approach of the Governor would usher in a regime change at the Centre.
Eswaran also wondered if the Governor has ever called the CM, ministers, or bureaucrats to discuss welfare schemes.
CPI MLA T Ramachandran said that the governor was speaking 'childishly' and he has changed the Raj Bhavan into the den of the RSS.
He also urged the government to adopt a resolution he gave to the speaker earlier in the day for the president recalling the Governor.
Describing the resolution as the "final warning" to the Governor, CPM legislature party leader 'Nagai' Mali said that Ravi was acting like a BJP person, instead of a governor. VCK legislature party leader Sinthanaiselvan said, "Even if the governor found a single flaw in the bills, he would have recorded the reasons. In withholding the bills without any reasons he has openly admitted that he has no disagreement with the bills, but that he has no mind to approve them."
Sinthanaiselvan also argued that the law facilitating the appointment of the Governor as chancellor of universities was legislated by the TNLA and it was not a Constitutional mandate hence the State government must take a policy decision on making the CM as the chancellor of universities.
Cong MLA likens CM's resolution to 'soorasamharam'
Supporting the government's resolution, PMK legislature party leader G K Mani said that the chief minister must be the chancellor of the State Universities and the approach of the governor could never be accepted.
Congress legislature party leader K Selvaperunthagai likened the special session resolution against the governor to Saturday's 'Soorasamharam' and said that the 'soorar' CM has risen up to defend the welfare of the State when it was challenged. Quoting extensively the resolution adopted in 2011 by Modi (then Gujarat CM) led BJP against the Congress-appointed governor's delay in assenting bills passed by BJP governments, the CLP said that the BJP made a hue and cry when a University bill was delayed for 45 days then, the TN governor has been sitting on bills for 45 months.
Citing alleged irregularities unearthed by the CAG in Anna University during the tenure of Surappa as V-C and Kamaraj University now, the CLP said that the Raj Bhavan in TN has become a camp of the RSS.
A few DMK alliance MLAs who spoke on the resolution sought the recall of the incumbent Governor.
