The Tamil Nadu government has taken the matter to the Supreme Court, accusing Governor RN Ravi of deliberately delaying the approval of bills sent to him. The government is seeking a court order to direct the Governor to either give his assent or dispose of the bills within a specific time frame.
There has been ongoing conflict between the DMK government and the Tamil Nadu governor for several months now. Chief Minister MK Stalin and Governor Ravi have clashed on various issues, including pending bills, Mr. Stalin’s foreign trips, the Dravidian model of governance, and the Governor’s remarks on the state’s name.
In its plea to the Supreme Court, the Tamil Nadu government alleges that the bills and orders forwarded by the state assembly are not being cleared by the Governor in a timely manner. Currently, there are twelve bills, four prosecution sanctions, and files related to the premature release of 54 prisoners pending before Governor Ravi, according to the government.
Furthermore, the government accuses the Governor of “undermining the will of the people” and “misusing the position of the ceremonial head.”
Earlier this year, Governor Ravi sparked a debate on the state’s name with his comments on January 4 during an event in Chennai. He suggested that “Thamizhagam” would be a more appropriate name for Tamil Nadu. However, he later clarified that it was erroneous to infer that he had proposed changing the state’s name.
In January, Governor Ravi walked out of the assembly after MK Stalin moved a resolution to include only the prepared speech by the state government and remove any portions added or skipped by the Governor from the customary address.
The Tamil Nadu government now awaits the response from the Supreme Court regarding their plea.
