Guv trying to topple government, instigating communal hatred: CM
Ravi a textbook example of Governor being Centre’s agent malady, alleges Stalin
CHENNAI: Dialling up the intensity of his feud with Raj Bhavan, Chief Minister MK Stalin shot off a letter to President Droupadi Murmu accusing Governor RN Ravi of trying to topple the government, instigating communal hatred and violating Constitutional norms – all of which made him ‘unfit to be a Governor’.
The letter was sent on Saturday, the day when Ravi had a “purposeful meeting” with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, but was released on Sunday.
Listing what he termed as serious infractions, Stalin said the Governor’s words and deeds were against Tamil Nadu, its people, the elected government and Constitution of India.
A Governor who looks for ‘opportunities to topple the government’ in a State ruled by a party opposed to the party in power at the Centre could be regarded as an agent of the Union government, whose actions would destroy the Indian democracy’s basic tenets by damaging the principle of federalism, he said.
“Ravi is stoking communal hatred and he is a threat to Tamil Nadu’s peace,” Stalin said.
தமிழ்நாடு ஆளுநர் திரு. ஆர்.என்.ரவி அவர்களின் செயல்பாடுகள் தமிழ்நாட்டிற்கும், தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்களுக்கும், மக்களால் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட அரசுக்கும் எதிராக அமைந்துள்ளது குறித்தும், அரசியலமைப்புச் சட்ட மீறல்கள் குறித்தும் 1/5 pic.twitter.com/GTedluCTFE
— TN DIPR (@TNDIPRNEWS) July 9, 2023
Another issue he highlighted involved Minister V Senthilbalaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last month in a cash-for-jobs case. Ravi had initially declined to accept the cabinet recommendation to retain Balaji and then moved to dismiss him before backtracking, Stalin pointed out, stating that this showed his political slant.
On the one hand, Governor Ravi delayed sanction to prosecute former ministers of the AIADMK regime, which again displayed his political inclinations, he accused.
“India is a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic… A Governor who does not believe in any of these fundamental principles is unfit to hold the gubernatorial post. A Governor who becomes a politician should not continue in that position… The framers of the Constitution would never have imagined a situation where the Governor openly contradicts the policy of the state government or obstructs the approval of the Bills passed by the Legislature without undue delay or acts against the basic features of the Constitution such as federalism and secularism,” he added.
Pointing out various other instances like delay in sanctioning prosecution of criminals, behaving as an ideological enemy of the State government, interfering in police investigation, extending support to the criminals, Stalin said these were grave violations of the Constitution making Ravi unworthy to hold the post of Governor.
The Chief Minister said he was leaving it to the President’s wisdom to decide “whether the continuance of Ravi in a high Constitutional post like the Governor is desirable or appropriate”.
