Stalin wins a crucial battle in court, but a truce with Raj Bhavan is unlikely

Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi with Chief Minister MK Stalin. (File photo/PTI)

A Centre-state dispute in Tamil Nadu not only took on political colours, but was also reduced to a clash of personalities over time. Constitutional issues relating to the gubernatorial office and federal principles first morphed into a DMK-BJP slugfest involving the Raj Bhavan before turning into a personal ego battle between chief minister MK Stalin and Governor RN Ravi.

The Supreme Court reprimand of Ravi for being a ‘hindrance’ to the state government instead of being a ‘friend, philosopher and guide’ is a culmination of a long three-year cold war that was fought not only over interpretation of constitutional provisions and assembly procedures, but also over details of personal etiquette and mutual respect.

That the Governor would behave as a representative of the Centre was a given right from Ravi assuming office in 2021, just a few months after the DMK government was sworn in. Although not a career politician, Ravi, a retired Indian Police Service officer, seemed closely aligned with the BJP’s brand of politics. Often, during his public engagements, he attacked the Dravidian model of governance held up by the DMK government and Stalin in particular as an alternative to the Gujarat model touted by the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At one point, he described the Dravidian model as an expired ideology that reinforced ‘linguistic apartheid’ and was anathema to the unity of India.

But prior to that, in 2023, he refused to read out the customary Governor’s address at the start of the first session of the year, prepared by the state government, saying the address, instead of highlighting government policies, merely praised the Dravidian governance model. Claiming the government had “numerous passages with misleading claims far from truth”, he walked out of the Assembly.

In 2024, the Governor walked out without addressing the Assembly in protest that the national anthem was not being sung at the beginning of his Assembly address and instead the Tamil Thai Vaazhthu (which is customary in Tamil Nadu Assembly) was sung. The national anthem is usually sung at the end. Ravi wanted the anthem to be played both at the beginning and the end. In January this year too Ravi walked out of the Assembly without addressing, for the same reason.

A Raj Bhavan communique termed the Chief Minister and the Speaker’s ‘refusal’ to play the national anthem before Governor’s address as “brazen disrespect to the Constitution and National Anthem”. Stalin termed Ravi’s action as ‘childish’ and ‘absurd’. Raj Bhavan struck back calling the Chief Minister ‘arrogant’.

The Tamil anthem became a matter of controversy last October when a line from the anthem glorifying ‘Dravida’ land was dropped during a Doordarshan commemoration function attended by Ravi. Referring to the distortion, video of which was circulated, Stalin wondered if he was a Governor or an ‘Aryan’ for disrespecting the Tamil anthem. He also taunted if the Governor would have preferred dropping the word ‘Dravida' from the national anthem. Ravi immediately accused Stalin of being a racist and claimed he (Ravi) had no disrespect for the Tamil anthem.

But, egos apart, what was affecting the functioning of the state was the withholding of 10 Bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly, between January 2020 (from AIADMK tenure) and April 2023. The Governor returned the Bills, but were again endorsed by the Assembly. Ravi then referred the Bills to the President of India Draupadi Murmu, who gave assent to one, rejected seven and did not consider two.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday invoked its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution and deemed passed 10 bills withheld by Ravi since re-presentation (November 28, 2023) and also specified a timeline for governors to grant assent to bills. It declared President Murmu’s actions to be ‘void’.

The bench comprising J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan observed: “As a general rule, it is not open for the Governor to reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President once it was presented before him in the second round after having been returned to the House previously as per the first proviso (of Article 200). The use of the expression ‘shall not withhold assent thereof’ appearing in the first proviso places a clear embargo on the Governor and clear enunciation on the requirement that the Governor must accept the Bills which is presented to him after complying with the provisions laid down in the first proviso.”

A jubilant Stalin, announcing the news in the Assembly, amidst thumping of desks, thanked the Supreme Court on behalf of the state government, MLAs and the people of the state. “Tamil Nadu struggled to protect the DMK’s principles, such as State autonomy and federalism. Tamil Nadu will struggle, Tamil Nadu will win!” He said that it is not only a victory for Tamil Nadu, but for all other states to retain the federal structure.

The 10 Bills are: Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Bill, 2020; Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Bill, 2020; The Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Tamil Nadu Siddha Medical University Bill, 2022; The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Tamil University (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Tamil Nadu Siddha Medical University Bill, 2022; The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

What is disconcerting is the complete breakdown in relations between the Governor and the CM, who stayed away from official receptions at the Raj Bhavan. The two have engaged in personal attacks with Ravi recently claiming that the CM was misleading the people of the state against the Governor through his social media handle. Stalin might have won the court battle, but this is unlikely to end the government's war with Raj Bhavan.