The four MLAs of the BJP walked out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Saturday, expressing their opposition to the government’s resolution to reconsider the 10 Bills for which Governor R.N. Ravi had withheld assent.
Speaking in the discussion on the resolution, BJP’s Legislative Party leader Nainar Nagenthiran took exception to what he termed as ‘disrespectful remarks’ made by leaders of certain political parties during the discussion. He objected in particular to the comment by a leader that the Governor was behaving ”childishly”. Though the Speaker asked the members to not be critical of the President, Governor or the courts, he said that many members continued to criticise the Governor and also the Union government. The Speaker, however, said that the MLAs’ remarks were only related to the Governor’s decision to withhold assent.
On the Bills transferring the powers to appoint the Vice-Chancellors of universities from the Governor to the government, he said the government should consider the legal ramifications since the topic of education was in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and not the State list.
Law Minister S. Regupathy said that while certain education-related legislations like the Bill to exempt Tamil Nadu from National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET) required the assent of the President, the Bills considered on Saturday fell entirely in the domain of the State government.
