Governors should work within Constitutional framework or invite government’s wrath: DMK

Latching onto Telangana Governor complaining about the state government “ill-treating” her, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Monday warned Governors that they would end up meeting the fate of Tamilisai Soundararajan if they don’t work in harmony with the “elected” state governments with people’s mandate.

In a full-page article ‘Tamilisai’s comments teach a lesson to Governors’, DMK’s mouthpiece Murasoli said no state government duly elected by the people will allow “blatant politicisation” of legislations passed by the Assembly after being drafted by the government in consultations with officials and other stakeholders.

“If the Governors think they can put spokes in welfare schemes or government programmes without realising that they have not been guaranteed with such powers in the Constitution, they would only meet the fate of Tamilisai. Governors are mere agents of the Union,” the article read.

It referred to Tamilisai’s recent comments that the Telangana government continues to “ill-treat” her despite she “working hard for the development of the state.” She was referring to the TRS Government in Telangana going ahead with the first Assembly session of the year without a customary address by the Governor.

The article comes in the backdrop of the DMK government’s running battle with Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi over a host of issues, including on the anti-NEET bill. Political observers saw the Murasoli article as yet another attack by DMK on the Governor, who is being criticised by the ruling party and its alliance partners for his support to National Education policy (NEP), and a three-language formula.

“Governors who say they dedicate themselves to the welfare and development of the people of the state should realise that they are just agents of the Union. Instead of joining hands with the elected governments, they (Governors) try to interfere with its functioning. Governors should realise they are just bommais (dolls) after the Supreme Court judgment in S R Bommai case (1994),” the Murasoli article said.

Opposition-ruled states have been complaining about undue interference of Governors in their functioning. The article while referring to such issues said state governments may remain silent or make few compromises in the larger interests of the state. “But if the confrontation attitude of the Governors continues, they should remember they will meet the same fate as Tamilisai,” it added.