Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, moving a resolution for the readoption of bills returned by Governor R.N. Ravi in the Assembly on Saturday said the governor post itself has to be removed, however, until the role exists, governor has to work under democracy. The Assembly unanimously readopted the 10 bills returned by the governor.
Stalin said, “Indian democracy is in a very bad state. In a democracy, it is the governor’s duty to accord assent to a bill passed by a democratically elected government. If the governor has any legal or administrative doubts regarding the bills, he can ask the government for clarification. Never has the government not given clarifications sought by the governor.”
Stalin charged the State government could implement many more development in the State if there weren’t any obstacles from the Centre. The chief minister criticised the governor, instead of using his closeness with the Centre to get projects for the state, is mulling ways to obstruct projects of the state.
Governor Ravi on Thursday returned 10 bills, including a bill passed by the House in 2020 without according his assent. Ravi made the move after a three-judge SC bench came down heavily on the Tamil Nadu governor for not acting on the bills. The bench, while hearing the petition filed by the state government, noted that as many as 12 bills are pending with the governor and expressed concern over the same.
Stalin charged, "He returned the Bills due to his personal whims and fancies. It is undemocratic and anti-people to not give assent" to them, the CM said. Stalin said the governor returned the bills without giving any reasons. Stalin charged Centre is targeting Opposition-ruled states through Governors.
He said the House takes note that under the proviso to Article 200 of the Constitution of India, if the above said Bills are passed again and presented to the Governor for assent, he "shall not withhold assent therefrom”. "This House resolves that under rule 143 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly rules the following Bills may be reconsidered by this Assembly," the resolution moved by Stalin said.
According to sources, of the ten bills, two were adopted by the assembly in 2020 during the erstwhile AIADMK regime. The bills returned include The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Bill, 2020; The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Bill, 2020; The Chennai University (Amendment) Bill, 2022 (L.A. Bill No.25 of 2022); The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Tamil Nadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai (Amendment) Bill 2022; The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill, 2022; and The Tamil University (Amendment) Bill, 2022. (L.A. Bill No.31 of 2022).
