“Governor” is neither a decorative emblem nor a glorified cipher. His powers are limited but he has an important constitutional role to play in the governance of the state and in strengthening federalism. He is the head of the state and all chief ministers, including the Tamil Nadu chief minister, must remember it. All governors too must remain true to their oath of “preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution”. What happened in Chennai on Monday was shocking and demonstrates the trust deficit between the governor and the chief minister. But what Governor R N Ravi, an appointee of the BJP government at the Centre, did was neither new nor surprising: Governors appointed by Congress governments in the past had behaved similarly. But Governor Ravi should have ideally respected the national anthem.
The governor leaving the House is not good even for the reputation of Chief Minister M K Stalin, an experienced politician following in the footsteps of his illustrious father and former CM, M Karunanidhi.
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