Governor is mere rubber stamp post: Stalin

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin being felicitated at Nehru Indoor Stadium on Saturday for his role in getting a landmark Supreme Court judgment with regard to Bills kept pending by the Governor.
| Photo Credit: M. VEDHAN

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday sharply criticised the Governor, describing the post as “a mere rubber stamp” with no real utility.

“If a Governor, appointed as an ‘agent’ of the Union government, temporarily blocks the schemes brought out for the people by the Chief Minister, what is the respect given to the votes cast by them? Why conduct elections at all?” he said speaking at a felicitation function held at Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

It was organised by the federations of higher education institutions to appreciate the Chief Minister for being instrumental in getting a landmark judgment from the Supreme Court with regard to the Bills kept pending by the Governor and, thereby, securing the rights of Tamil Nadu.

“Will they keep quiet if the President takes over the Prime Minister’s power?” Mr. Stalin said.

“Following the Supreme Court verdict, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that Parliament was supreme. We are also stating the same thing. State Legislative Assemblies have more power than the Governor,” he said.

The State government not only provided land and financial resources for establishing universities and colleges but also gave salaries to the staff, besides ensuring amenities for students, Mr. Stalin said.

“How is it justifiable that the Governor can nominate Vice-Chancellors of State-run Universities? That is why I went to court. And the judges gave a clear judgment and settled the case that has been pending for some years. They have belled the cat. They set a deadline for Governors to act on the Bills,” he said.

‘No personal rivalry’

“Nobody should think we are engaging in a power struggle with the Governor. There is no personal rivalry with the Governor. Even at a recent function at Raj Bhavan, I interacted with him. Even though there are political differences, we should maintain cordial relationships. If someone else is made the Governor, and he/she functions the same way, we will oppose it,” Mr. Stalin said.

“We will not give up our rights under any circumstance. That is my policy,” he said. “In my personal view, the present Governor must continue, as our goodwill with the people will increase,” Mr. Stalin said. He also told students not to fall for traps of those saying that education was not important, and they could make a living through Instagram or YouTube.

He added that some individuals were trying to use social media in an attempt to mislead students and inculcate caste motives in them. “Do not search for your role model on social media. It is for entertainment,” he told students and stressed the importance of education.

K. Veeramani, Chancellor, Periyar Maniammai University, and Tamil Nadu Minister for Higher Education Govi. Chezhiaan, among others, spoke at the event.

Anti-superstition law

In his speech, G. Viswanathan, Founder-Chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology, requested the Chief Minister to ensure that the State government enacted an anti-superstition law.