Chief minister MK Stalin on Tuesday vowed to fight for state autonomy as he hailed the Supreme Court’s verdict that struck down Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi’s move to reserve 10 re-enacted bills for presidential assent after withholding their approval. The CM referred to the court’s order in the state assembly and called it a victory for all states.
The top court’s verdict came as a shot in the arm for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Tamil Nadu government, which has been at loggerheads with Ravi over various issues, including the latter stalling 10 bills after the assembly re-enacted them.
“We thank and welcome today’s historic judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, reaffirming the legislative rights of State Legislatures and putting an end to the trend of Union government-nominated Governors stalling progressive legislative reforms in Opposition-ruled states,” Stalin wrote in a post on X.
“This is another crucial step in restoring balance in Union–State relations and a landmark victory in Tamil Nadu’s continuous struggle to usher in a truly federal India,” the DMK chief added, congratulating the people of Tamil Nadu and its legal team.
There was no immediate reaction from the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan on the verdict of the top court. Raj Bhavan secretary Kirlosh Kumar did not respond to HT’s calls and text messages for a comment.
In the assembly, Stalin asked the Treasury Benches to celebrate the judgment by thumping the desks.
The Opposition AIADMK and BJP did not react to the development. State BJP vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy did not respond to HT’s calls and messages.
Hailing the top court’s “historic” judgment, Stalin’s son and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said: “Tamil Nadu’s legal battle has once again shone light on the entire nation.”
Former Union minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also welcomed the verdict.
“The Constitutional position was always clear, and many jurists had explained the position several times. Yet the Governor withheld assent to many Bills. He was wrong, constitutionally wrong,” the veteran leader said.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), targeted the BJP-led Union government, saying the apex court’s order will strengthen the struggle against “authoritarianism” and help in strengthening the federal principles enshrined in the Constitution.
“This is a historic judgment as it came down against the actions of many governors of opposition-ruled states who are acting in violation of the federal principles enshrined in the Constitution,” the party’s politburo said in a statement.
“The verdict will now set a precedent for all the states, including Kerala, where the governors (have) withheld assent to the legislations passed by the state assemblies,” it said, adding the verdict will “strengthen the struggle against authoritarianism and for the protection of the rights of state governments.”