Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin lashed out at Governor R N Ravi for his remarks on clearing Assembly bills sent to him for assent and said it was unbecoming of the person occupying the gubernatorial post to withhold the bills.
Claiming that the Governor cannot keep the bills in abeyance, Stalin said needlessly delaying the approval amounted to "dereliction of duty" on the part of the Governor. "Not only that, it is also an act of ineffective paralysis. If pressure is mounted, the Governor will ask a question and send it back to the government and with this his duty is done," the CM said in a hard-hitting statement.
For instance, the bill seeking to ban online Rummy passed by the Legislature, which was of utmost urgency to protect the lives of the common man, was delayed, Stalin, who is the president of DMK, said reacting to Ravi's claim on Governor's discretion to decide on Assembly bills.
Earlier, during his interaction with civil service aspirants: "Think to Dare," series, at the Raj Bhavan here, Ravi opined on the Assembly bills forwarded to him for presidential assent, that "the Governor has three options: give assent, withhold - meaning the bill is dead - which the Supreme Court and Constitution uses as decent language to mean reject, and third reserve the bill for the President. This is the Governor's desertion."
"It is unbecoming of a person who holds a Constitutional position to withhold without boldly accepting or opposing it. Moreover, airing his views on public space and trying to justify it is a very bad precedence. Hence, he has to retract what he said," Stalin said.
He accused Ravi, who has been causing confusion among the people of the State by talking about controversial political and social views in public platforms, of now projecting views regarding the legislative procedures contrary to the truth in order to cause controversy and to spoil administrative order.
"I express my strong condemnation to the Governor of Tamil Nadu who continues to act contrary to the oath of office and against the welfare of the State," Stalin said.
Ravi, he claimed, has made a habit of delaying the bills, ordinances and amendments conceived by the people's representatives, and sent to him for approval. He not only 'failed' in his administrative duties, but also slipped away from his responsibilities. There was no proper reason for his action nor a reply to the government. About 14 files have been withheld by him, so far.
Citing a Supreme Court verdict, the Chief Minister said the Governor is but a shorthand expression for the State government and the President is an abbreviation for the Central Government. "Forgetting this, the Governor should not think of himself as The Great Dictator."
-With PTI Input
