In the ongoing standoff between Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and Chief Minister MK Stalin, the latter has penned a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, accusing Governor RN Ravi of shielding those involved in child marriages and interfering in police investigations.
The detailed 19-page letter highlights several instances where Chief Minister MK Stalin deems the actions of Governor RN Ravi has behaved and why it is unbecoming for him to continue in his position.
Accusing Governor RN Ravi of interfering in police investigations and shielding the accused, Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the Governor gave misleading and false information pertaining to the police investigations into the case relating to four child marriages in Chidambaram district. “The Governor said no child marriages took place in Chidambaram and accused the police of foisting false cases. A statement like this from the Governor had a significant impact on the investigations and created hurdles for the police investigations,” the Chief Minister said.
I have written to Hon'ble @rashtrapatibhvn apprising about the unconstitutional functioning of the Tamil Nadu Governor, his disregard for elected government and the state legislature, and overreach in state affairs. The Governor's acts of delaying assent to bills, interfering… pic.twitter.com/GQMFaw6anU
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) July 9, 2023
Furthermore, MK Stalin alleged that Governor RN Ravi has deliberately delayed granting his assent to important bills that have been passed by the legislative assembly, a move that contradicts constitutional values.
Expressing his displeasure over the Governor’s decision to delay the sanction for prosecution sought by the Tamil Nadu government against former AIADMK Ministers Dr C Vijayabaskar, BV Ramana, MR Vijaya Bhaskar, and KC Veeramani in connection with corruption cases. The Chief Minister said that the Governor has put the files in cold storage and termed it strange.'
The Chief Minister has also pointed out instances where the Governor has acted as an enemy to the ideals of the state government. “It is inappropriate for a Governor to express his political and religious views in public. Such speeches not only create an embarrassing situation for the government but also create an atmosphere of animosity against the elected government,” MK Stalin added.
MK Stalin also said that the Governor has expressed his bias by acting against Minister Senthil Balaji by issuing an urgent order to dismiss him from the government while delaying the sanction for prosecution against former AIADMK Ministers. “Therefore, the governor has proved that he is very partisan and unfit for the post,” the Chief Minister said while stressing the need to remove RN Ravi from the post of Governor of the state.