Guv flies to Delhi as DMK, allies mount pressure on Raj Bhavan

CHENNAI: Governor RN Ravi has reportedly flown to Delhi amid pressure being mounted by the ruling DMK-led secular progressive alliance on Raj Bhavan for inaction on around a dozen Bills passed and sent for assent by the State Assembly.

The DMK-led secular alliance, which has been highly critical of Governor R N Ravi’s public repudiation of the incumbent State government’s policies on key issues concerning Centre-State ties, has sensed some optimism or the lack of it over the latter’s Delhi visit. Just as the Governor reportedly flew to the national capital, secular parties and DMK sympathisers have raised decibel levels, mainly on social media over the demeanour of the Governor.

As if the state Congress leadership was not loud enough in criticising the gubernatorial conduct of Ravi, it was the turn of the CPM to launch a fresh offensive against Raj Bhavan, more so when he has camped in the highest seat of the country’s power.

CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan has accused Ravi of acting at the behest of the BJP-led Centre to clip the wings of an elected government in the state. The DMK twitterati went to the extent of raising apprehensions over the Delhi trip, even forecasting a likely change in the governor’s attitude for the good or bad of the state.

DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi did not hold back his views when he spoke on the governor’s Delhi visit. “The governor has not been acting in a way he should be doing so. He is behaving like an agent of the union government. His actions are contrary to the Constitutional principles. We have repeatedly raised the issue. Indeed, the union government has been (mis) using such governor’s in many non-BJP or opposition ruled states. We had drawn the attention of the Union government to the governor’s excesses in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. We had even issued a notice in the LS demanding the recall of the Governor.”

Asked if his party had planned a fresh offensive against the Governor for delaying the assent to over a dozen bills, Bharathi said, “He has gone to New Delhi now. The Union government could give him instructions to mend his ways and act in accordance with the constitution or to act differently. We will know only when the governor returns from the national capital. We will wait to see if there is any change in his behaviour after his return and decide our course of action after that.”

The inordinate delay in Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi giving assent to the Bills of the House became a talking point last week after the governor appointed vice chancellors to three universities in the state. The appointment brought the focus back on the governor failing to stamp his approval on the vice chancellor’s appointment bill passed by the State Assembly in April last to empower the state government to appoint V-Cs on its own.

Some of the Bills awaiting Raj Bhavan’s nod

TN cooperative Societies (second Amendment) Act 2022

TN Cooperative Societies (Third Amendment) Bill 2022

TN Cooperative Societies (Fourth Amendment) Bill 2022

TN Town and Country Planning (second amendment) Bill 2022

TN Apartment Ownership Bill 2022

TN Siddha Medical University Bill 2022