New Delhi: A day after the dressing down by the Supreme Court, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Friday told the top court that DMK leader K Ponmudi would be sworn in as a Minister at 3.30 pm on March 22.
Attorney General R Venkatramani submitted before a bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra that the Governor wanted to convey he had the least intent to disregard the order by the Supreme Court.
He said on a certain understanding of judgment, he has taken a view.
Taking the statement into the record, the court disposed of the interlocutory application filed by the Tamil Nadu government.
The court noted the Governor stated that he had no intent to overreach the order of the court.
Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi, A M Singhvi and P Wilson for the Tamil Nadu government told the court, the Governor has relented and invited Ponmudi for swearing in.
The Supreme Court's two-judge bench had on March 11 suspended the conviction and sentence awarded to Ponmudi in a disproportionate assets case.
Chief Minister M K Stalin sent a letter to the Governor on March 13 for reinstatement of Ponmudi as Minister.
However, the Governor on March 17 responded that the conviction of Ponmudi has only been “suspended, not set aside” and therefore he cannot be appointed as minister.
On March 21, the top court questioned the stand taken by the Governor, while acting on an application by the Tamil Nadu government.
"He is defying the Supreme Court of India. When the Supreme Court of India stays a conviction, the Governor has no business saying otherwise," the bench had said.
"We are seriously concerned with the conduct of the Tamil Nadu Governor. When the SC's two-judge bench has stayed the conviction of Ponmudi, it has to be accepted and be given effect to," the bench had said.
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