'Do not think of yourself as The Great Dictator': Stalin tells Guv Ravi

As is his wont, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has yet again stirred up a hornet's nest saying Bills passed by the Assembly but put on hold without assent are 'dead'. A total of 14 Bills, including one proscribing online gambling, are pending for assent. Predictably, this has invited Chief Minister Stalin's wrath who said the governor should not entertain himself as a great dictator, writes ETV Bharat's MC Rajan.

Chennai:In his continuing turf war with the elected government, Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi is in the eye of the storm on Thursday over his remark justifying his sitting over the Bills passed by the state assembly for months as an option available to the Raj Bhavan. And swift was the reaction of Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin who reminded him that the office of Governor is nothing but a shorthand for the state government and he should not think of himself as The Great Dictator.

His penchant for debunking the dominant political narrative and turning public events to counter it has made him a whipping boy for the ruling DMK and its allies. The recent controversy arose following his remark at an interaction with civil services aspirants at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday.

Responding to a question on the role of a governor in the context of different parties in power at the Centre and the State, he said “Withholding assent to a Bill means it is 'dead'. It is an option available to the Governor as per the Constitution. A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had made this clear. In a decent way, it is as good as rejected.”

In a strongly worded 4-page statement, Stalin charged the Governor with acting in contravention of the Constitution and working against the interests of the state. “Earlier, he was creating confusion among the public through his controversial speeches on political and social issues. Now, he is engaged in disrupting administrative discipline by telling things about the legislative procedure that are contrary to the truth. Habitual in keeping Bills pending, he is escaping from performing his duties. 14 Bills are awaiting his assent. This is not only a failure on his part but an attempt at crippling.”

“Such casual utterances on executive decisions by a person who has taken oath of secrecy is a violation of constitutional norms. His act of not granting assent to Bills re-adopted by the assembly has to be considered as an act of stymieing the state administration. Keeping Bills pending inordinately does not behoove well of a constitutional functionary. Further, trying to rationalize this in public domain, lacking legal sanctity, is a very wrong precedent,” the Chief Minister said and urged him to take back his views, as demanded by the oath of office he has taken.

If this was not enough, his views belittling the anti-Sterlite protest and the anti-nuclear struggle as foreign-funded has raised the hackles of political parties and activists. “In Sterlite in Thoothukudi, it was purely foreign-funded activity which led to the protest where police fired and it was unfortunate that cost innocent lives. But, they wanted Sterlite to be closed," he said.

"Sterlite produced 40 percent of our country's copper needs and you know how copper is important for the electronic industry. They closed it and it is more than 10 years down the line. All those who were behind it were getting foreign contribution through FCRA. Criticism will be there, that's ok. People have freedom, constitutional right to protest. But, the government has to ensure that our national interests are protected,” he added.

It was in response to a question on why the government has tightened FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) when it is no more a soft state. The governor, justifying the need for curbing flow of foreign funds, cited the anti-nuclear struggle in Kudankulam saying, “Every time a work was started, there will be a protest. Nobody comes with an empty stomach and the money trail goes to US and Europe. To those who were active, it comes in the name of environment, human rights, climate, safety.”

He also claimed that every year, Rs 250 crore is being pumped from abroad into the North East for conversion activities which had delinked those states from the mainstream. Condemning Ravi, the Congress, MDMK of Vaiko, and CPI(M) have called for the recall of the governor, while TTV Dhinakaran of AMMK urged him to mend his ways. TNCC president KS Alagiri has called the DMK and its allies to lay a siege to the Raj Bhavan to press for his recall.

A crusader against Sterlite MDMK Chief Vaiko termed the governor's remark on the Sterlite protest as the 'height of arrogance'. CPI(M) and AMMK have slammed Ravi for ridiculing and casting aspersions on the spontaneous protest and the 'martyrdom' of the victims of police firing.