Governor RN Ravi is embroiled in a bitter tussle with the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu (File)
Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, embroiled in a tussle with the ruling DMK, has appointed five of the six nominees of the state government as members of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission.
This comes ahead of the Supreme Court hearing scheduled next month.
The Governor had objected to the sixth member, M Sivakumar, citing alleged disciplinary action against him at his earlier place of work.
The Governor, however, is yet to appoint former top cop Dr Sylendra Babu as the chairperson of the state government’s recruitment arm.
He has sent back Mr Babu’s files twice, raising questions on transparency, method of appointment, and his age.
The ruling DMK, which is engaged in a tug of war with Governor Ravi over delay in giving assent to passed bills, including those that aim to clip the powers of the Governor in appointing Vice Chancellors to state-run universities, has moved the Supreme Court seeking a timeframe for Governors to dispose of passed bills.
The top court, in earlier hearings, made it clear that the Governor must abide by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. However, the Governor chose to refer the bills sent to him for the second time on curbing his powers to the President and the court observed that the Governor did not have the power to do this.
The Governor met Chief Minister MK Stalin recently at the suggestion of the top court.
Last week, Governor Ravi refused to read the official speech prepared by the DMK government in the first session of the assembly this year on “moral and factual grounds”.
He didn’t even wait for the national anthem to be played even as he accused the state of ignoring his request to play the anthem before and after his address.
The Tamil Nadu assembly, the Speaker clarified, begins with the state anthem and closes with the National Anthem.
A few other non-BJP states, including Kerala, Delhi, and Punjab, have gone to the Supreme Court on similar complaints that the Centre is using Governors to scuttle development and undermine duly elected governments in states. The Centre has denied the accusations.