Stalin raises 3 questions over Centre’s motives, slams Presidential reference in Tamil Nadu Governor case

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday strongly criticised the BJP-led Union Government’s decision to seek the Supreme Court’s opinion through a Presidential reference concerning the deadlines for governors to act on Bills, as established in a recent apex court ruling. He raised three pointed questions challenging the Centre’s motives and stated, “Tamil Nadu Governor acted at the BJP’s behest to undermine the people’s mandate.”

Stalin described the move as exposing the Union Government’s “sinister intent” to undermine the constitutional balance and weaken democratically elected state governments.

Stalin, who is also the president of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), called upon all non-BJP-ruled states to unite and join the legal battle to defend the Constitution. In a post on the social media platform ‘X’, he stated: “I strongly condemn the Union Government's Presidential reference, which attempts to subvert the Constitutional position already settled by the Supreme Court in the Tamil Nadu Governor’s case and other precedents.”

The Chief Minister alleged that the Presidential reference exposed the fact that the Tamil Nadu Governor acted at the behest of the BJP to undermine the mandate of the people. “This was nothing but a desperate attempt to weaken democratically elected state governments by placing them under the control of governors serving as agents of the Union Government,” Stalin claimed. He further asserted that the move “directly challenges the majesty of law and the authority of the Supreme Court as the final interpreter of the Constitution.”

MK Stalin's Three Questions

In his statement, Stalin posed three pointed questions challenging the Union Government’s motives.

“Why should there be any objection to prescribing time limits for Governors to act?

Is the BJP seeking to legitimise its Governors’ obstruction by allowing indefinite delays in Bill assent?

Does the Union Government intend to paralyse non-BJP State Legislatures?” he asked, highlighting concerns over the potential misuse of gubernatorial powers to stall legislation in states ruled by opposition parties.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister expressed apprehension that the Centre’s actions were aimed at paralyzing legislatures in non-BJP states. “Our nation stands at a critical juncture. The questions raised in the reference reveal the BJP-led Union Government's sinister intent to distort the Constitution's basic distribution of powers and incapacitate the state legislatures dominated by opposition parties. Thus, it poses a clear exigent threat to state autonomy,” he warned.

Stalin’s appeal went beyond Tamil Nadu, urging all states governed by parties other than the BJP to join forces in this constitutional struggle. “In these grave circumstances, I urge all non-BJP states and party leaders to join this legal struggle to defend the #Constitution. We will fight this battle with all our might. Tamil Nadu will fight - and #TamilNadu will win!” he declared emphatically.

Tamil Nadu vs Governor

The controversy centres around a recent Supreme Court judgment that set deadlines for governors to take decisions on Bills passed by state legislatures, aiming to prevent undue delays in assent or rejection. The BJP-led Centre’s move to seek the Supreme Court’s opinion through a Presidential reference is viewed by many opposition leaders as an attempt to dilute the judgment and maintain gubernatorial discretion, which can be leveraged to stall legislation in states ruled by rival parties.

This development has intensified the ongoing tussle between the Centre and several opposition-ruled states over federal autonomy and the role of governors, who are appointed by the Union Government.