DMK again tries to raise in assembly guv's district visits

The Opposition DMK once again tried to raise in the Tamil Nadu assembly the issue of Governor Banwarilal Purohit's visits to districts in the state and staged a walkout after the Speaker refused permission for a debate on the matter today.

Leader of the Opposition M K Stalin referred to yesterday's clarification from the Raj Bhavan in this regard and wanted to know if senior officials were informed about the governor's visits and sought a reply from Chief Minister K Palaniswami on the matter.

Speaker P Dhanapal said no debate can be held on the governor in the House.

He said though he allowed Stalin to raise the issue, there would be no reply since there cannot be a debate on the matter regarding the governor.

However, the Speaker himself clarified that as a constitutional authority the governor was entitled to go on tours in the state.

While Stalin repeatedly insisted the government respond on the mater, Dhanapal was firm the issue cannot be debated.

Subsequently, Stalin "strongly condemned" the chief minister for not giving a reply on the issue and announced staging a walkout, with his party colleagues in tow.

DMK's ally Congress also followed suit.

Talking to reporters later, Stalin alleged that a "dual rule" was in operation in Tamil Nadu - under the Governor and the Chief Minister.

"As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, a dual rule is happening -- one headed by the Governor and the other by the Chief Minister," he said.

DMK has been opposing the governor's action claiming that his visits to the districts and holdings meetings with officials amounted to interfering in the state's autonomy.

Stalin had on June 23 accused Purohit of "dreaming to run the government through the back door".

The party had two days later tried to raise the issue in the assembly unsuccessfully after the speaker cited House rules and said there cannot be any debate regarding the Governor.

Yesterday, the Raj Bhavan had issued a clarification on the governor's visits to the districts and cited a legal opinion to insist there was no illegality in his actions.

Earlier on June 24, the Raj Bhavan had issued a strongly-worded statement taking exception to the DMK's continuing protests against Purohit's district visits and the party's 'siege Raj Bhavan' stir on Saturday last.

It had also cited section 124 of IPC, which said "whoever with the intention of inducing or compelling the President of India, or the Governor of any state... shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years."