CHENNAI: Governor-in-charge Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has once again raked up controversy over the existence and role of Lok Bhavan by conducting a review meeting with senior district officials in Madurai on Thursday.
His act has rekindled the debate over the constitutional role of Lok Bhavan, with the exercise unfolding a day after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, prompting charges that he went beyond his constitutional boundaries.
Arlekar chaired a review meeting for nearly 90 minutes with Madurai District Collector M Nishanth Krishna, City Police Commissioner S Rajendran, the Municipal Commissioner and other senior officials. The Governor reviewed administrative procedures, public grievance redressal, digital governance, maintenance of water bodies, tuberculosis elimination, public health, school education and the implementation of Central government schemes. In a separate interaction, he sought details from the Police Commissioner on measures relating to the safety of women and children, anti-narcotics enforcement and road safety.
Earlier in the day, while addressing a function at Saurashtra College, Arlekar expressed concern about the condition of the Vaigai River. "I saw the Vaigai. The river is there, but where is the water? We must take responsibility. Patriotism is not only about going to war with a gun; restoring our rivers is also an act of patriotism. If no one restores the Vaigai, Lok Bhavan itself will step in," he said.
The Governor's remarks and the subsequent review meeting drew political reactions, with critics alleging that Lok Bhavan was straying into the executive domain of the elected government. Madurai MP S Venkatesan questioned why no similar intervention was proposed after the Governor crossed the Cooum River in Chennai, and alleged that the statement reflected an attempt to create a "parallel administration" rather than to address environmental concerns.
The development assumes added significance as it comes a day after Arlekar's meeting with Shah in New Delhi. According to sources, the Centre is actively working on appointing a full-time Governor for Tamil Nadu before the proposed Union Cabinet reshuffle. Former Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi is learnt to be among the names under consideration, while a few senior leaders from the Tamil Nadu BJP are also said to be in the reckoning for gubernatorial assignments for other states.
Thursday's developments have also revived memories of the controversy surrounding former Governor Banwarilal Purohit's district-level review meetings in 2017. The DMK had then staged black flag protests, accusing Lok Bhavan (then Raj Bhavan) of attempting to run a parallel administration and encroach upon the executive authority of the elected State government. With Arlekar adopting a similar administrative breach of duties, the Governor's role has once again moved to the centre of Tamil Nadu's political discourse.