Today, Governor RN Ravi extended an invitation to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader K Ponmudi to take the oath as a minister, following the Supreme Court’s intervention. The controversy emerged when the Tamil Nadu Governor refrained from reappointing Ponmudi, citing concerns regarding his criminal conviction, a decision challenged by the state government.
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NEW DELHI: Today(on 22nd March), Governor RN Ravi has extended an invitation to Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader K Ponmudi to take the oath as a minister. This comes after the Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, expressed concerns over the Governor’s initial refusal to re-induct Ponmudi, despite the apex court’s decision to stay his criminal conviction.
The controversy began when the Tamil Nadu Governor refrained from reappoint Ponmudi as a minister, arguing that the stay on his conviction did not erase the charges against him. This was challenged by the state government, which argued that the Governor’s interpretation was an overreach of his constitutional powers.
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During the proceedings, Attorney General R Venkataramani assured the Supreme Court that the Governor had no intention of defying its orders and had agreed to administer the oath to Ponmudi. Chief Justice Chandrachud acknowledged this development with a smile, noting the submission.
Senior Advocate P Wilson, representing the state, lauded the Supreme Court’s role in upholding parliamentary democracy, stating:
“Parliamentary democracy survives because of you (SC).”
This acknowledgment reflects the judiciary’s critical role in resolving disputes that affect the governance of the state.
The Supreme Court took a firm stance after learning that the Governor had been disregarding its directives.
“We are deeply concerned about the Governor’s conduct. Defying the Supreme Court of India is unacceptable. When a conviction is stayed, the Governor should not intervene. Our orders must be followed,”
-the Court emphasized.
The apex court also questioned the Governor’s claim that re-inducting Ponmudi into the cabinet was against “constitutional morality,” especially since the Supreme Court itself had stayed his conviction.
Before his legal issue, Ponmudi was the State Higher Education Minister. He was convicted by the Madras High Court in December 2023 and sentenced to three years in prison, which led to him being disqualified as a legislator. However, the Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily suspend his conviction allowed him to regain his legislative membership, potentially enabling his return to the cabinet.
Despite the Supreme Court’s intervention, Governor Ravi initially resisted Ponmudi’s reappointment, citing concerns over corruption and constitutional morality. This stance prompted the Tamil Nadu government to accuse the Governor of acting as a “super appellate authority,” overstepping his jurisdiction by questioning the Supreme Court’s decision.
The Governor’s delay in approving bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and his refusal to endorse the premature release of prisoners proposed by the government.
Case Title:
State of Tamil Nadu vs Governor of Tamil Nadu and anr.
