No illegality in Guv meeting with officials: TN Raj Bhavan

Facing flak from opposition parties over his recent meeting with officials in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit today asserted there was no "illegality or unconstitutionality" in his actions.
A Raj Bhavan release also dismissed as "absolutely wrong" and "figment of imagination" the opposition charge that Purohit was acting at the behest of the Central Government and said he would continue such meetings in future.
Though the Governor was sure about the legality and correctness of his action, he sought opinion from a leading legal expert to have a proper examination of his action - from legal as well as Constitutional perspectives, it said.

"Equipped with that detailed opinion, Thiru Purohit asserts that none of his actions in seeking a meeting with the District officials in Coimbatore amounts to any illegality or unconstitutionality," the release said.
It said the purpose of the Governor's meeting was to seek a first hand input about various welfare and development schemes and programmes and their implementation.
The clarification comes days after a political row erupted in the state with several opposition parties strongly criticising Purohit's meeting with top district officials in Coimbatore on November 14 during his visit to the city.

The governor, who assumed office last month, has said a day after the meeting that he would visit the district as well as the other districts every year.

DMK working president M K Stalin, leaders of the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, PMK and even deposed AIADMK deputy chief T T V Dhinakaran flayed the Governor for holding the meeting, alleging it amounted to interference in the state's rights, a charge denied by several state ministers and BJP.
Stalin, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, has alleged that this was an attempt by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the governor to "take away the authority vested by the people" in an elected government.
He has also alluded to the differences between Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy in the neighbouring union territory over the former's style of functioning and said, "Tamil Nadu is not Puducherry."

Rejecting their charges, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and some of his ministerial colleagues have said there was nothing wrong in the governor holding such meetings.
The Raj Bhavan release issued by the Principal Secretary to the Governor said the meeting was welcomed by certain sections of society, while others found it "not in conformity with the constitutional provisions and conventions".
Stating that a few of the critics also felt that the Governor had a political agenda and he was acting at the behest of the Central government, it said this was "absolutely wrong and false and based on the figment of imagination."

There was no attempt to short-circuit official channels or force a meeting. Everything was done according to the norms and the meeting gave the Governor a good idea of the status of various welfare and development schemes, it said.
Noting that the Governor had conducted similar meetings during his tenure in Assam, the release said conducting such meeting never violated any law or the Constitution.
These meetings helped the Governor in getting first-hand knowledge of the developmental needs and problems faced by the people, the release said.
The Governor would continue such efforts to fulfil his responsibilities as envisaged in the oath he had taken to devote himself in the service and well-being of the people of the state, it said.

It further said because the Governor's action "is as per law and the Constitution, many Ministers in the government of Tamil Nadu have appreciated and supported his effort."
"At no place does the Constitution stop the Governor from seeking any such meeting. The purpose in seeking such meetings is not to subvert the authority of the State government, but to support their efforts in good governance", it said.
The Governor as already stated by him would abide by the Constitution in letter and spirit. "He will always strive to uphold the dignity of the Office of the Governor," the release added.