The Supreme Court has made very strict comments regarding the Governor of Tamil Nadu.
New Delhi: Taking exception to Tamil Nadu MLA Ponmudi’s refusal to swear in as a minister, the Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the state Governor. Chief Justice D.Y. A bench headed by Chandrachud heard the Centre’s top law officer, Attorney General R. Told Venkataramani, ‘What is your Governor doing? The Supreme Court has stayed the sentencing of a minister and the Governor says ‘I will not administer the oath to him.’ You tell the Governor that we have to make some comments now. Please tell the Governor that we are going to consider this very seriously.
‘We give the Governor time till tomorrow’
In this bench of the Supreme Court, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra were also included. The bench said, ‘After the Supreme Court has stayed the conviction, how can the Governor say that his rejoining the cabinet is against constitutional morality? We give the Governor time till tomorrow. Mr. Attorney General, if we do not get your positive reply tomorrow, we will pass an order directing the Governor to act in accordance with the Constitution. We want to avoid that situation by giving the Governor a chance to correct the constitutional position.
‘Concerned about the Governor’s conduct’
Attorney General Venkataramani said he was not justifying the Governor’s action, and asked to see the file and meet Governor R.N. Will answer after talking to Ravi. He wondered whether the relief sought in the interim application filed by the state government on a pending writ petition filed against the Governor could be granted. Posting the matter for hearing on Friday, CJI Chandrachud said, ‘Mr Attorney General, we are seriously concerned about the conduct of the Governor in the state. This is not the way, because he is disobeying the Supreme Court of India.
Madras High Court had held him guilty
Chandrachud said, ‘It would be better to inform the Governor that when the Supreme Court has stayed the conviction, the law has to be followed. We are extremely concerned with the way this matter has progressed at the Governor’s level. Let us tell you that former Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi had to leave his post in December last year after being convicted by the Madras High Court in the disproportionate assets case. The Supreme Court later stayed his sentence, following which Chief Minister M.K. Stalin sent a request to Raj Bhavan to reinstate him in the cabinet. However, the Governor refused to administer the oath of office to Ponmudi as minister.
Latest India News