Ravi must demit office on his own: Suba Vee

CHENNAI: Dravidar Iyakka Tamilar Peravai general secretary Suba Veerapandian on Thursday said that Governor RN Ravi must demit office on his own and moving an impeachment (motion) against him does not bode well for his position.

Speaking to reporters after leading an agitation demanding the immediate withdrawal of Ravi at Valluvar Kottam here, Veerpandian said that the very demand that the Governor must be withdrawn does not bode well for him. “He (Governor) should be above criticism. But this Governor (Ravi) has created the need for petitioning the President demanding his withdrawal.”

Accusing Governor Ravi of indefinitely ‘holding’ the Bills and exploiting his position to capture universities and spread his political ideology, Veerapandian said, “He (Ravi) has turned the Raj Bhavan into a shelter for Sanathanic forces. All these are antithetical to the Constitution.”

Advising the Governor to demit office before publicly preaching his political ideology, Veerapandian said, “Governor has no authority to speak against the government either at conferences or meetings or at the Raj Bhavan. Demitting the office on his own would be honourable to his position. If it escalates to the situation of moving an impeachment (motion) against him, it neither bodes well for him nor the post he holds.”

Wondering if any Governor has spoken beyond what was given to him by the government in the Governor’s address, he said, “His job is only to read out the speech. If he thinks that it affects his self-respect, he can quit his position. The authority of the Governor allows him to neither incorporate his views nor omit the views of the government in the (Governor’s) address. There are many precedents to Governor’s being made to quit for criticising the government,” he added.