Chennai, Feb 12 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin respected democracy and was keen on ensuring cordial ties with Governor R N Ravi, but the latter appeared to be “remotely controlled” and hence could not function independently, state Law Minister S Regupathy claimed on Monday.
He said the governor lacked the heart to read out the achievements of the DMK government in the assembly and hence had walked out even before the national anthem was played.
“The governor said the national anthem should be played in the assembly during his customary address. He should have waited for a couple of minutes for the national anthem to be played after the Tamil version of his speech was read out, but he staged a walkout,” Regupathy told reporters outside the Assembly House.
Ravi’s action belittled democracy, the minister alleged, and said the DMK government under Chief Minister Stalin respected democracy and the Constitution and hence wanted the first sitting of the assembly to begin with the customary address by the governor.
“We want to ensure cordial relations but those occupying this gubernatorial position are under the remote control of the Centre and they cannot function independently,” the minister said and accused the Centre of targeting the non-BJP ruled states through the governors.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary K Balakrishnan charged the governor of “insulting” the Tamil Nadu Assembly and the people of the state by refusing to read out the speech at the assembly’s first sitting.
“The governor’s speech is not a reflection of Ravi’s personal views but the policy document of the state government. And the Legislature is not the place to express his opinion,” Balakrishnan said in a statement here and demanded his immediate recall for being in conflict with the state government.
CPI state secretary R Mutharasan said Ravi, who was supposed to initiate the assembly session with his address, has shown his “low standards by rejecting his constitutional duty and violating tradition.” PTI JSP KH
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