CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu assembly speaker M Appavu on Friday criticised Governor R N Ravi for his recent remarks that state was on a downswing and the status of key indicators was worrisome.
“He is the one who should worry,” said Appavu, asking the governor to discharge his constitutional duties “instead of keeping RSS and Sanatana Dharma in mind”.
Appavu criticised the governor for his remarks on the quality of education in Tamil Nadu, saying Ravi had no right to speak on these issues and only had authority to give assent to bills passed by the legislature.
“The governor is furious that no matter what he sees, there is no RSS or Sanatana Dharma. Tamil Nadu is leading the country in education, industries, and health sectors,” he told TOI. Appavu walked out of the 85th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference in Patna last week when the chair decided not to record his remarks about the governor’s alleged “anti-Constitutional activities”.
The speaker said the chief minister should be the chancellor of state-run universities and not the governor. The bills replacing the governor with the chief minister as chancellor were not given assent by Raj Bhavan. “What power does he (governor) have to say that UGC chairman’s nominee should be appointed (in the search committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors)?” Appavu asked.