End of chapter: On Governors and reshuffle

An inglorious section of unedifying lessons successful law statecraft whitethorn beryllium ending successful Tamil Nadu with the transfer of Governor R.N. Ravi to West Bengal pursuing the abrupt and inexplicable resignation of incumbent C.V. Ananda Bose. The gubernatorial alteration of defender successful these poll-bound States comes alongside that of 5 different States and 2 Union Territories. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Governor of Kerala, different State facing elections, volition clasp further complaint successful Tamil Nadu. While Mr. Bose and Mr. Ravi had repeatedly administered governmental pinpricks to elected governments, Mr. Bose’s relations with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had precocious improved. Mr. Ravi made nary specified allowances to the M.K. Stalin dispensation. As precocious arsenic January, he walked retired of the Assembly, for the 4th year. Each time, helium recovered a crushed oregon manufactured an excuse for not fulfilling his mandate of delivering the Special Address to the House, nether Article 176. Relations betwixt Lok Bhavan and Fort St. George person remained strained since 2022, erstwhile Mr. Ravi returned a Bill — alternatively of reserving it for the President — seeking exemption from the cardinal mandate of NEET-based aesculapian admissions. The House historically readopted and re-sent the Bill to Lok Bhavan. Thereafter, Mr. Ravi created legislative paralysis by indefinitely delaying his determination connected Bills, abusing powers nether Article 200. He adjacent argued that if a Governor withholds assent, the Bill is “dead”, a presumption rejected by the Supreme Court successful the Punjab lawsuit (2023). He chose to proceed successful office, adjacent aft the Court, successful 2025, nullified his inaction connected 10 Bills and granted them “deemed assent”. Perhaps, helium had go immune to controversies. The Home Ministry erstwhile forced him to backtrack aft helium unilaterally dismissed an arrested Minister. On different occasion, the Court rapped him for refusing to administer oath to a Minister whose condemnation had been suspended by the judiciary.

Beyond specified law misadventures, Mr. Ravi besides ne'er fought shy of endorsing right-leaning ideologies, often appearing to presumption himself arsenic a governmental hostile of the ruling DMK. He not lone dubbed Mr. Stalin’s ‘Dravidian model’ slogan an “expired ideology” but besides characterised it arsenic a “sectarian” thought. His posture helped the DMK further its governmental campaign, accusing the Narendra Modi authorities of utilizing Mr. Ravi to undermine the fashionable volition expressed done the House. It is hard to archer whether his transportation is meant to deprive Mr. Stalin of this governmental limb oregon to extremity Ms. Banerjee’s comfortableness with Mr. Bose successful an predetermination season. But 1 happening appears clear: past whitethorn not dainty Mr. Ravi’s tenure successful Tamil Nadu arsenic worthy of emulation successful the behaviour of Centre-State relations.