Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Amid the recent tussle between the Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and Chief Minister MK Stalin over the return of 10 bills, Telangana Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, shared her insights on the often misunderstood role of a governor in Indian politics in an exclusive conversation with India Today TV.
Speaking about the governor’s role in the state, Tamilisai Soundararajan said that the post should be constructive but has turned “controversial”.
She added that the focus tends to be more on governors rather than chief ministers and there was a “misconception” that they should be confined to Raj Bhavan without engaging with the public.
‘A BILL WITHHELD ISN’T DEAD’
When asked about the controversy over the delay in assent to bills by governors, Soundararajan said, “A bill withheld isn’t dead; it’s under assessment. We receive various representations that need consideration. For instance, I’ve sent some Bills to the President when they fell under the concurrent list.”
“Dr Ambedkar himself suggested that no time frame should be imposed on the Governor’s office, allowing for thorough evaluation,” she added.
The Telangana Governor, however, refused to comment on the row between the Chief Minister and Governor in Tamil Nadu where the Governor refused to give assent to 10 bills passed by the state assembly.
Tamilisai Soundararajan explained that in Telangana, when the Budget Session in 2022 began without the governor’s address, she still endorsed the Budget Bill so that the people wouldn’t suffer.
“If there is a time limit, governors will follow but as there is no time limit, governors are not following it,” she said.
When asked to respond to the criticism that governors intervened in state affairs, the Telangana Governor said that she believed in a cooperative relationship where the governor can act as a neutral representative for the people’s grievances.
Giving instances of when she reached out to people in order to help, she said, “In Telangana, there was a situation where a veterinary doctor was sexually assaulted and murdered. I went to her home and the whole family was in grief. I can’t say that I’m a governor and I shouldn’t do it. I can only act as per situation.”
Soundararajan further said, “When there were floods in the Bathrachalam area, I immediately went because I had adopted six villages there. Even though I didn’t get help from the government, through the Red Cross, I immediately arranged food, water and clothes.”
‘CHIEF MINISTER’S HAVE AN EGO PROBLEM’
This shouldn’t be viewed as an intervention but as help and support, Soundararajan said. The Telangana Governor claimed that Chief Ministers often have an “ego problem” as they constantly question the activities of a governor. “They (Chief Ministers) say ‘who are you meeting?’ and ‘why you want to attend the programmes'”.
After the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court over the returned bills, the Telangana Governor remarked that instead of going legally, Chief Ministers and Governors should “approach each other morally”.
