OPPOSITION events joined the DMK Tuesday in welcoming the Supreme Courtroom verdict holding that extended inaction of state governors on Payments handed by governments was misguided and unlawful.
Moments after the apex court docket pronounced its order on its petition in opposition to Governor R N Ravi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M Okay Stalin instructed the state Meeting: “A couple of moments in the past, our authorities obtained a historic judgment from the Supreme Courtroom… This order shouldn’t be just for Tamil Nadu, however an enormous victory for all of the states in India.”
He additionally known as it a vindication of federalism, the autonomy of states and Dravidian politics. “The struggle for state autonomy and federalism will proceed… and Tamil Nadu will win it,” he mentioned.
The Kerala authorities led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which additionally went to the Supreme Courtroom in opposition to earlier Governor Arif Mohammed Khan holding its Payments, known as Tuesday’s verdict “a victory of democracy” and “a warning in opposition to the tendency of governors to usurp the powers of the Meeting”.
Vijayan pointed to the similarities with Kerala, “the place consent for Payments had been withheld for even 23 months” and the state’s authorized battle over it. “This verdict underscores the importance and significance of such points raised by Kerala,” the CM mentioned, including that the Courtroom had upheld the federal system and the democratic rights of the Meeting.
In an announcement, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which is in energy in Jharkhand in a coalition together with the Congress and RJD, mentioned it “wholeheartedly welcomes the landmark verdict”. Pointing to the Courtroom making it clear “that governors can’t act as political gatekeepers by indefinitely withholding assent to Payments”, the JMM mentioned: “This judgment is a robust affirmation of the ideas of federalism and parliamentary democracy enshrined in our Structure.”
The order’s implications would “reverberate throughout the nation”, the JMM mentioned, pointing to the function performed by the Governor in Jharkhand, “in defiance of democratic norms”. A number of Payments handed by the JMM authorities led by Hemant Soren are pending, together with the 1932-domicile-based native coverage Invoice, the ST/SC/OBC reservation enhancement Invoice, and the anti-mob lynching Invoice.
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“We demand that the Governor of Jharkhand take rapid cognizance of the Supreme Courtroom’s judgment,” the JMM mentioned.
The Telangana authorities, which has amicable ties with the Raj Bhavan, didn’t react formally to the Supreme Courtroom verdict. Off the file, a Telangana CMO supply mentioned they welcome the judgment “as it’s within the spirit of democracy and federalism”. “As Stalin is our ally, we’re joyful for Tamil Nadu,” the supply mentioned.
Karnataka Well being and Household Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao mentioned the Supreme Courtroom ruling was “a clear-cut path to all governors to not exceed their temporary, and to not intervene within the common administration of the state”. “Now we have seen governors in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka… wherever there are Opposition-ruled states, how badly they’ve behaved and the way they’ve been misused by the Modi authorities,” the Congress chief mentioned.
At the moment, 13 Payments handed by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress authorities in Karnataka are pending assent from the Governor. 4 of those had been handed by the state authorities in July 2024, two through the Winter Session later within the yr, whereas 9 had been handed through the Price range Session final month.
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TMC spokesperson Jay Prakash Majumdar mentioned that the Supreme Courtroom order “signifies the irregular use of the constitutional put up of Governor in an try to harass and management non-BJP governments”.
With the get together authorities in West Bengal in close to fixed friction with the Raj Bhavan, Majumdar mentioned: “We hope that the Narendra Modi authorities will take the daring and clear message of the order that such hegemony of governors can’t be tolerated anyplace in India.”
In a social media put up, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin mentioned: “That is one other essential step in restoring steadiness in Union-State relations and a landmark victory in Tamil Nadu’s steady wrestle to usher in a really federal India.”
Stalin’s son and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin posted on X that the state’s authorized battle “has as soon as once more shone mild on your complete nation”, and that CM Stalin “has as soon as once more registered a big victory in his steadfast dedication to guard state rights and resist makes an attempt to impose a unitary construction on the nation”.
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DMK Rajya Sabha MP and advocate P Wilson, who represented Tamil Nadu within the Supreme Courtroom, hailed the “HUGE WIN for the DMK authorities”.
All different events in Tamil Nadu additionally welcomed the decision, barring the AIADMK and BJP. Taking a dig on the two events’ silence, Chief of the Home Duraimurugan mentioned: “These remaining silent on this historic growth will probably be confined versus the decision in historical past.”
Congress MP from Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu Sasikanth Senthil posted that the decision was a transparent message that “governors aren’t above democracy”. “This isn’t only a authorized victory, however a political blow to the Modi authorities.”
Kerala ministers P Rajeev and Okay Rajan additionally issued statements welcoming the Supreme Courtroom order. Nearly all arguments made by Kerala in its case in opposition to the stalling of Payments had been lined in Tamil Nadu’s plea, Rajeev instructed reporters.
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When Khan served because the Kerala governor, eight Payments handed by the Meeting from 2022 to 2023 had been pending with Raj Bhavan. After Khan neither gave his assent to the Payments nor referred them to the President, the Kerala authorities in November 2023 moved the Supreme Courtroom in opposition to him.
After the Supreme Courtroom then noticed that governors couldn’t “thwart the traditional course of lawmaking”, Khan gave assent to at least one Invoice and referred seven for presidential assent. Final yr, the President cleared 4 Payments, however assent was withheld for 3, together with one envisaged to divest the Governor from the place of chancellor of universities in Kerala.
-with ENS inputs from Ranchi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata