Leader of the House Duraimurugan on Monday said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would have moved the resolution against the Governor with a heavy heart and regret that it had come to this.
The Minister listed the DMK government’s efforts to iron out its differences with the Governor, which went in vain. Welcoming the resolution on behalf of the DMK, Mr. Duraimurugan said the institution of the Governor should be abolished. “We handled it [issues with the Governor] cordially. We called on him several times. Files were sent, but did not return. Bills were sent, but did not return. The Chief Minister and I have met him and held talks. We have spoken to him [incumbent R.N. Ravi] and the former Governor [Banwarilal Purohit]. Though we held talks, nothing much happened,” he said.
Contending that the Governor was not being open, Mr. Duraimurugan said not only did the Governor not carry out his official functions but also made comments. He recalled that the Governor had omitted certain words from the Governor’s Address prepared by the State government. “Our Chief Minister responded to it immediately as a ‘tit for tat’.”
Quoting from an editorial published by The Hindu, titled ‘Bad and ugly: On the Tamil Nadu Governor’s walkout from the Assembly’, Mr. Duraimurugan said the newspaper’s edit offered an advice, that future confrontations could be avoided if the Governor gave up his penchant for making politically loaded remarks. “But did he change his ways? No,” Mr. Duraimurugan said.
“The Governor’s post is not for being against the Constitution. If you have a political party and a principle, do resign [from the post],” he said.
Citing various features of the Constitution that define the functions of the Governor, he said the government had to take this route only because the Governor did not act accordingly.
“If he still refuses [to give his assent to the Bills], we can only say that this House will sit and decide and we would not resort to how [then Governor] Chenna Reddy was stoned on his way back from Puducherry. We were raised by Kalaignar and Anna. Whatever be the differences, we will speak with dignity and we wont take that route.” Mr. Duraimurugan said.
Quoting Ramarao to say “one of the most bilaterally misused instruments of our Constitution is the institution of Governor” and Nani Palkhivala to say “shameless Governors”, Mr. Duraimurugan said, “I am of the view that the institution of the Governor should be abolished.”
Recalling that the policy of the DMK since its inception was against the post of Governors, Mr. Duraimurugan said his party had repeatedly contended that “if any Tom, Dick and Harry was appointed as a Governor”, he could create trouble for an elected government.
Mr. Duraimurugan contended that the Governors were behind the confusion in many States today.
Recalling a movie screened at the Raj Bhavan, which he watched with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Mr. Duraimurugan said it showed late freedom fighter Gopal Krishna Gokhale and several others. “Savarkar is seen repeatedly. And then came the end. But Mahatma Gandhi or Nehru was not shown at all. Is there Independence without Gandhi?”
