Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday slammed Governor R.N. Ravi for not forwarding the NEET exemption Bill to the President though it had been passed by the Assembly for a second time.
He questioned how an ‘appointed’ Governor can refuse a Bill passed by the representatives of 8 crore people of the State. He was speaking at a special public meeting to mark the end of a campaign against NEET and the National Education Policy and for the reclamation of federal rights of the State, carried out by the Dravidar Kazhagam.
Criticising the functioning of Mr. Ravi on the same day when the State government passed a Bill to take over the Governor’s powers to appoint Vice-Chancellors, Mr. Stalin said, “What I am asking the Governor of Tamil Nadu is not consent for the Bill. The Governor does not have the power to provide consent for the Bill. He should send it to the President of India. The fact that he is refusing to do even that is unbecoming of the position he holds. The representatives of 8 crore people have passed a NEET exemption Bill in the Assembly, and it is being sent back by an appointed Governor. Can we say that there is democracy in India?”
Mr. Stalin urged Mr. Ravi to change his understanding of his position. “If I devise policies in the interest of the people, can those who are appointed stop them? Do you think you have more power than the people? If you do think like that, please change your understanding. Are Governors in BJP-ruled States poking their noses into the affairs of the government?”
He went on to state that the Dravidian ideology was being widely accepted in India and by various political parties. Chief Ministers and even people in North India had started speaking about social justice and federalism.
“The Dravidian ideology is now being widely accepted in India, which is probably not palatable for some; it irritates people. When we take Periyar’s name, it angers them. For people who live with hate in their heart, the DK and the DMK being together is irritating,” he said.
“Even today, the State government passed a Bill empowering the State government to appoint V-Cs to universities in Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK and the BJP walked out of the State Assembly. NEET is not just an entrance test to medical courses. It is about making medical education available only for the upper class. This is why I said it was ‘modern knowledge untouchability’ in the Assembly, ” he said.
DK president K. Veeramani placed two requests before the State government. “The State government must celebrate Puratchi Kavignar (Bharathidasan’s birthday) as ‘Sarvadhesa Pannatu Tamil Valarchi Naal’,” he said.
“As for the second [request], Kalaignar [former Chief Minister Karunanidhi] declared Tamil ‘Semmozhi’. You have to take it [to an] international [level]. There is also a need for a law against superstition, like in Maharashtra and Karnataka,” he added.
