Chennai: Amid the ongoing tussle between Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi and MK Stalin-led state government, the government passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly on Monday urging the Centre and President to give immediate appropriate instructions to the Governor to approve the Bills sent to him.
The Governor is refusing to approve the Online Gambling Bill which was passed again by this House. Even as suicides of youngsters continue unabated, he refuses to give his nod for the Bill. Going a step further, the Governor says "withhold" means that Bill is rejected, Stalin said.
He pretends as if he is unaware of the Sachar Report which insisted that the powers to withhold the Bills should not be given to the Governor. As per the Constitution, the Governor can only approve if the returned Bill was re-adopted by the House and resent. Even to return the bill, he should act on the advice of the cabinet.
When the power to legislate is vested with the Legislative Assembly which represents the people, approving powers being accorded to the nominated Governor is against the spirit of democracy. We will take steps to amend our Constitution to rectify the same, Stalin said while moving the resolution against the Governor.
The CM accused Ravi of converting the Raj Bhavan into a "political Bhavan" and charged him of being against the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu. The resolution adopted "regretfully" recorded that by keeping the Bills pending, the Governor was against the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu.
Last week, Ravi explained to a group of youngsters about the role of a Governor as per the Constitution. Ravi, while interacting with the civil services aspirants, said that he has the option to give assent or withhold the Bill passed by the Assembly. He added that the latter means the "Bill is dead". The Governor said that "withholding" is a "decent language" used for the Bill to get rejected.
Ravi said that the responsibility of the Governor is defined by the Constitution which is to protect the Constitution. He also said that the Governor looks into the Bill if it does not "transgress the Constitutional limit" and the state government does not "exceed its competence".
Last month, CM Stalin slammed Governor Ravi after it returned the online gambling prohibition Bill four months after the State legislature passed it. Meanwhile, several posters against Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi asking him to 'get out' were spotted across Chennai on Saturday following his "Bill is dead" remark.
