Chennai: At least 13 bills, including the ones that empower the Tamil Nadu government to appoint vice-chancellors to universities and prohibit hookah bars in the state, are pending with the governor — some since January 2020 — according to the M.K. Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government.
On Monday, the Tamil Nadu assembly passed a formal resolution — moved by Chief Minister Stalin — seeking clearance of bills in a timely manner by governors.
The resolution urges the Union government and President Droupadi Murmu to fix a time limit for “governors to give assent to bills passed by the legislatures”.
Stalin, while moving the resolution, had accused the governor of “escaping from his duties by not giving his assent to 14 bills”.
The very same day, Governor R.N. Ravi — who took charge in September 2021 — cleared the bill to ban online gambling in the state, one of the most contentious legislations, 131 days after it was passed by the assembly.
DMK MP T.R. Baalu, speaking to ThePrint, said, “Even though we are an opposition party (at the central level), based on constitutional position, the governor should be advised by the Union Law Ministry to function for the state.”
DMK MLA C.V.M.P. Ezhilarasan added, “In all non-BJP-ruled states, the governors are creating hurdles for the functionality of the state. It has been a strategy followed by the BJP across India. They are ensuring that the state has no peaceful running, affecting the autonomy of the state, and trying to infringe on the state’s rights and discretion.”
“The governor at least has to give the reason for withholding a bill, that too is not provided,” he said.
ThePrint reached the Raj Bhavan for a comment via call, but was unable to get a response.
Another bill passed by the assembly — to exclude Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission into medical colleges — is awaiting assent from the President.
The DMK government came to power in the state in May 2021.
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Bills pending with the governor
Eight of the bills that are pending with the governor for his assent seek power for the government to appoint V-Cs to varsities.
While presenting two of the bills in the assembly last April, Stalin said that for years, the governor, who is also the chancellor of the state universities, had been appointing V-Cs “without consulting the state government”. He also alleged that the governor was functioning as if he had the exclusive right to appoint V-Cs.
He further said that “a government elected by the people being unable to appoint a V-C to a university run by it creates a lot of issues in the overall varsity administration”. “This is against the democratic principles,” he added.
Meanwhile, in October 2022, former Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit alleged that the vice-chancellor’s post was “sold for Rs 40-50 crore” in the state.
Ezhilarasan noted that in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government appoints V-Cs, adding, “Why then are they trying to stall the TN bills for the same?”
The other bills pending with the governor include the Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to include the secretary to the government who is in charge of the finance department as syndicate member in 10 state universities. The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Tamil Nadu, Amendment Bill, 2022, seeks to prohibit hookah bars in the state.
NEET exemption awaits President’s nod
The DMK government has also accused the governor of initially delaying a bill that seeks to exempt Tamil Nadu students from appearing for NEET. The bill was sent back by the governor in 2022, but was readopted by the assembly in February 2022.
Later, the bill was sent to the President, who in turn forwarded it to the ministries of education, home affairs and health. The state government addressed certain queries raised by the Union ministries regarding the bill. The state is now waiting for the President’s assent on it.
“The governor had previously kept the NEET bill pending and that is also the reason for the medical aspirants still suffering. We are now waiting for the President to give her nod on this bill,” said Ezhilarasan.
Governor vs DMK
The row between the DMK government and the governor involves several issues, such as the latter’s remark on Sanatana dharma, and his reference to Tamil Nadu as “Thamizhagam”.
The most recent controversy was a remark made by Ravi at an event held at the Raj Bhavan for civil service aspirants on 6 April. During the meeting, the governor said that when a bill is withheld, it means it is “dead”.
Condemning this Stalin said, “Instead of carrying out his duties in line with the Constitution, he (governor) is belittling the position by making controversial statements in public. He functions like a politician, not a governor.”
The controversial Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022, based on the recommendations of a committee headed by Justice K. Chandru, was passed by Ravi Monday.
According to government data, in the last three years, over 40 people have died by suicide after losing huge sums of money in online gambling. The controversy over the “delayed clearance” by the governor was also sparked by the fact that the latter had met members of the E-Gaming Federation in December 2022.
Apart from the bills, the ruling DMK has also raised objections over the usage of funds by the Raj Bhavan, with state finance minister Palanivel Thiagarajan alleging on the floor of the assembly that there are discrepancies and violations.
Meanwhile, the BJP has opposed the resolution against the governor and criticised it as “a most undemocratic” move by the ruling DMK. “The personalised attack on the governor suggests that this government is afraid of his remark on its mismanagement and misadministration or policies,” BJP state vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy told ThePrint.
“Is this arrogant and undemocratic way of attacking the governor the Dravidian model?”
(Edited by Geethalakshmi Ramanathan)
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