Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi (R) has had a series of run-ins with MK Stalin-led DMK government.
Calling Governor RN Ravi “a threat to peace”, Tamil Nadu's ruling party DMK has submitted a memorandum to the President to seek his removal for "obstructing a democratically elected government from serving the people”. He instigates communal hatred, the DMK alleged in the submission, signed by its MLAs and those of its ally Congress.
“He has violated the oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law,” the DMK led by Chief Minister MK Stalin said in the submission to President Droupadi Murmu.
The memorandum listed 20 Bills passed by the assembly that are awaiting the governor's assent. These include one to take away the governor's powers to appoint vice-chancellors and give those powers to the state government.
Saying that the governor "cannot sit as an appellate authority over decisions of the cabinet or the legislature”, the memo claimed RN Ravi “usurped the powers of the President” by returning a Bill rather than forwarding to the President.
The law says a governor can be appointed or removed by the President. If a Bill is sent by the state cabinet for assent, the governor can send it back once. If the cabinet re-sends the bill to the governor, they cannot send it back.
The DMK's memorandum also referred to his recent speeches as "divisive rhetoric", pointing to RN Ravi's alleged comment that "India is dependent on one religion". The memo called it "an affront to India's Constitution". His statements "denouncing Dravidian heriatage and Tamil pride", it alleged, "caused deep wounds to the Tamil sentiment and pride".
“Some might even consider his statements seditious as his statements attempt to excite disaffection towards the government,” it further said, terming RN Ravi "unfit" for the constitutional office. “He deserves to be sacked."
Governor Ravi has not reacted to the memo. However, in an informal meeting with journalists recently, he'd said that withholding any Bill is "a courteous way of saying 'no'". To a question on how he could sit on judgement on Bills that clip his powers, he said, "The Constitution permits me". He'd said he would not endorse those bills and "let courts scrutinise them if required".
On his controversial speeches on religion, the governor had said, "Law doesn't prevent me from sharing my personal views."
Tamil Nadu is only one of three southern states — others being Kerala and Telangana — where the governors and the ruling parties are having almost daily run-ins.
Party leaders have accused these governors of acting like "puppets of the Centre", seeing BJP-backed political vendetta behind their actions. The parties — prominent regional forces — have been looking beyond party and provincial lines to consolidate forces and take on the Centre's ruling BJP.