The conflict between Governors and Chief Ministers in several States was raised by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP T.R. Baalu in the Lok Sabha on Friday, where without mentioning names, he said that the behaviour of some Governors was “as if they had no care about what is there in the Constitution”. He requested President Droupadi Murmu to “pull them up”.
He said this in his speech replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to both Houses of Parliament. In a speech that also raised the issue of lack of Central funds promised by the Union government for dealing with “unprecedented” floods in several districts in Tamil Nadu, the allusion to Governors and their roles was in the context of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where relations between the government and the Governors has not been harmonious.
“Many Governors think they have a halo behind their heads, as if they have no care about what is there in the Constitution,” he said. He added that the Motion of Thanks is the government’s policy statement and President Murmu read every word of the speech previously cleared by the Union Cabinet, but that “recently one Governor read only the last word” in a particular State Assembly, alluding to Kerala.
“In some States the Governor is competing with the Opposition to scold the government” which had been elected democratically, he said. Mr. Baalu then requested President Murmu to exert her authority to pull up the Governors.
Governor R.N. Ravi and the DMK led government in Tamil Nadu, as well as Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and the Left Front government in Kerala have had several run-ins over various issues, including a very recent protest by Mr. Khan against the government with regard to his security amid black flag protests by the Students Federation of India against him just six days ago.
