Stay true to your office: CM Stalin tells Governor Ravi

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday said the Raj Bhavan “withholding” a bill passed by the Assembly has been defined as “dead” by the Supreme Court, triggering a sharp reaction from Chief Minister M K Stalin who demanded immediate withdrawal of the remarks and asked him not to think that he was a “great dictator.”

Stalin, in a strongly worded four-page statement, accused the Governor of indulging in actions that would lead to deterioration of “administrative order” by making controversial remarks about the functioning of the Assembly in clear contradiction to his oath of office and against the interests of the state.

During an interaction with civil service aspirants, Governor Ravi said the Constitution has given him three options vis-à-vis bills passed by the assembly, which is giving assent, or withholding assent, or reserving the bill for the President.

Also Read: AC gas leak creates panic in Tamil Nadu Governor's function

“Withhold the assent – withholding doesn’t mean that I am holding it. Withholding has been defined by the Supreme Court as the bill (that) falls through, the bill is dead. It is a decent language used instead of the word ‘reject’. When you say ‘withhold’, the bill is dead,” the Governor said.

Ravi added that the Governor is a part of the legislature and contended that a bill passed by the assembly does not mean it is passed by the legislature. “So when the bill is passed and sent to the Governor. Governor, he or she, being a constituent of the legislature by taking into account whether this bill is going beyond the competence,” he said.

At the same time, he said the Governor can also return the bill for the reconsideration of the House. “And after reconsideration, if the assembly again passes the bill and sends it to the Governor, then the Governor has no option but to agree to the assent. That is the constitutional position,” he said. His comments come close on the heels of the Tamil Nadu Assembly re-enacting a bill banning online gambling and regulating online games after the Governor returned it.

Hours after the Governor’s statement went viral, Stalin accused Ravi of not even informing his government the reasons for delaying bills passed by the legislature. If the government continues to pressurise the Raj Bhavan, Stalin said, the governor asks a question just for the sake of asking and keeps the file on hold.

Referring to the bill banning online rummy, Stalin said the online rummy bill was designated as a “money bill” by the Speaker but was returned by the Governor to the Assembly on March 6. “Let me leave the question of who violated the Constitution to the people. The governor should know that he has no right to return a money bill,” the Chief Minister said.

Taking objection to the Governor’s statement that “withholding a bill” is defined as dead, Stalin said such statements do not behold a person who took oath of secrecy. Quoting a 1975 judgement by the Supreme Court, Stalin said the apex court had opined that the Constitutional conclusion is that the governor is but a shorthand expression for the state government.

“Let the Governor not forget this and consider him as a great dictator,” the CM said, adding that it is not good for someone whose position has been recognised by the Constitution to “withhold” something rather than boldly supporting or opposing it.

“Moreover, it is a bad example to say it in public without any legal standing. The governor will stay truthful to the oath of office he took (at the time of swearing-in) only if he withdraws his statement,” he said.

--