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Governor, LG offices a ‘colonial hangover’: AAP leader Raghav Chadha
Raghav Chadha lashed out at Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi for not letting V Senthil Balaji to continue as a minister without a portfolio in the state cabinet.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Saturday alleged that the Governors or Lieutenant Governors (LG) in the non-BJP ruled states try to curb the powers and rights of elected government and said that the offices of Governors and LGs should be abolished.
Read here: 'Stalin afraid Senthil Balaji might reveal truth': AIADMK's jibe at Tamil Nadu CM
"A trend is being seen in non-BJP ruled states that rights of govts/CMs are being snatched through LG or Governor. Recently in Tamil Nadu, the Governor said that the MLA (Senthil Balaji) is not fit to be a minister. Constitution clearly states that CM has all the authority to choose the cabinet. This trend is dangerous for the country. I think Governors & LGs offices should be abolished as it is a colonial hangover", he told news agency ANI.
Earlier Chadha lashed out at Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi for not letting V Senthil Balaji to continue as a minister without a portfolio in the state cabinet after the latter was sent to judicial custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in connection with an alleged money laundering case.
Read here: Stalin afraid he's next after Senthil Balaji: Annamalai on Tamil Nadu's CBI move
Chadha said that this was a tyranny of unelected since constitutionally council of ministers was chief minister’s sole prerogative and not Governor’s. In a series of tweets, he said, “Another case of tyranny of the unelected. Tamil Nadu Governor has unilaterally remarked that an MLA can't continue as a minister - something which is unheard of.”
LG paralysed the government:
He further said, “Recent events in Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have shown that some Governors are excessively overstepping their bounds. In Punjab, the Governor had refused to summon the budget session and rejected cabinet’s resolution. In Delhi, the LG has consistently and systematically paralysed governance and crippled the elected government. What we are witnessing across non-BJP states is a dangerous trend. Governors are not above the law.”
Fresh row between governor, DMK over reallocation of portfolios:
Governor R N Ravi on Friday re-allocated the portfolios held by Balaji, on the recommendations of CM Stalin but "has not agreed" to the minister continuing in the cabinet, the Raj Bhavan said.
Read here: Fresh row between Tamil Nadu governor, DMK govt over reallocation of arrested minister’s portfolios
The government has also issued an order for Balaji to continue as 'Minister Without Portfolio'. The Governor had earlier opposed Balaji's continuing in the Stalin-led cabinet as he was facing criminal proceedings.
V Senthil Balaji case:
The electricity and excise minister, V Senthil Balaji, 47, was arrested by ED on Wednesday after 18 hours of interrogation in connection with an alleged cash-for-jobs scam from when he was the transport minister; back when he was with the AIADMK and the late J Jayalalithaa was chief minister.
Read here: TN minister Senthil Balaji shifted to pvt hospital after HC order following arrest by ED
Balaji was taken to a government hospital where he was diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and was shifted to Kauvery Hospital on order from the Madras High Court. He has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days after the ED told the court he refused to cooperate, refused to sign the arrest memo and shouted and yelled at agency officers.
(With inputs from agencies)
