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As the ongoing conflict between Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi and the DMK government in the state came to a head on Thursday evening, following Ravi’s controversial decision to dismiss state minister Senthil Balaji, Chief Minister M K Stalin said Ravi has “no power” to issue such an order, even as the DMK said it is weighing legal options.
“The Governor has no power to dismiss a minister…we will face this legally,” Stalin said.
The dismissal order was later put “on hold” pending legal advice.
Late on Thursday, Stalin held talks with top DMK leaders and legal experts. P Wilson, senior lawyer and a DMK MP, among those who advise the party in constitutional matters, told The Indian Express that Ravi’s order is “null and void…a scrap of paper”. “It has no binding on the CM,” he said.
Asked about the legal remedies available, Wilson said DMK is considering all options before zeroing in on one.
While the standoff between the state government and Ravi is not new, the relations hit a critical point in a series of clashes this year. Earlier in the year, Ravi suggested that the word “Tamizhagam” is an “appropriate” name for Tamil Nadu. His statement sparked a debate about a Governor’s right to suggest a different name for the state. Besides a rebuff from DMK, it elicited strong reactions even from opposition AIADMK, an ally of BJP in the state.
The word “Nadu” in “Tamil Nadu” has been a sore spot for a section of people in the state, as many believe it means “country”, when it actually means “geographic boundary” — or “land.”
Ravi eventually backtracked and issued a clarification, but only after a clash with the state government, including a situation that forced him to walk out of the Assembly.
Ravi then surprised many when he articulated his interpretation of a Governor’s power to withhold a Bill, terming it a euphemism for rejection. As DMK and several parties in the state, including AIADMK, issued statements, complaining that Ravi’s stands often contradicted the spirit of cooperative federalism intrinsic to India’s governance, the situation turned more tense when he held back multiple Bills passed by the state Assembly. This led to an unprecedented resolution moved against him by Stalin, who accused the Governor of undermining the supremacy of the Legislature.
Stalin subsequently appealed to all non-BJP states to pass similar resolutions in the Assembly, pointing to the erosion of cooperative federalism.
In May, Ravi courted controversy by making unverified claims about a child marriage case and alleged misuse of the infamous two-finger test. The police and the state health department had to intervene and counter the allegations. Subsequent evidence disproved the Governor’s earlier claims around the controversial child marriage case involving Chidambaram Natarajar Temple priests.
In June this year, Ravi stated at an event that state identities in India were the result of administrative convenience, and not cultural preservation. His dismissal of state identities as “fictional” — and his criticism of the resulting “divisive psychology” — drew a sharp rebuke from the DMK.
Thursday’s initial decision to sack Balaji is likely to be used by parties on both sides of the political spectrum in the state. As an AIADMK, who is a former state minister, told The Indian Express, “Every party will look for an edge in this crisis. But it is the state which will bear the brunt of such political issues.”
Drawing parallels to the chain of events that played out during the AIADMK government between 2016 and 2021, he pointed out the shaky situation Stalin finds himself in. “Stalin’s position is increasingly uncertain. His move to transfer his intelligence chief after inquiries from the Centre about complaints raised against him is one of many examples. Balaji’s continued detention and the delay in his interrogation by the ED leave Stalin in a tight spot,” the AIADMK leader said.
This AIADMK leader, who himself faced a search by a central agency, also said that Stalin cannot claim a moral high ground by dismissing Balaji from his Cabinet due to the ongoing investigations against multiple ministers. “Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Raja Kannappan, Anita R Radhakrishnan, and I Periyasamy are all facing criminal charges or investigations, from Vigilance, police or Central agencies,” the former minister said. “Udhayanidhi Stalin’s foundation was recently raided. If Balaji is sacked on the basis of criminal charges, it sets a precedent that could lead to the dismissal of these ministers as well.”
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