Ashish Pandey 
Chennai:
Less than a week after the Supreme Court pulled him up for blocking Bills, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has targeted the MK Stalin-led DMK government over atrocities against Dalits. The remarks have drawn a sharp response from state minister Govi Chezhiaan, who has said the Governor’s remarks were lies and that his home state, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh account for the majority of caste-based atrocities.
Addressing an event to mark the birth anniversary of the Constitution’s architect and Dalit icon BR Ambedkar, Mr Ravi said it was time to reflect on whether we have fulfilled Ambedkar’s dreams. He said when he came to Tamil Nadu, he was pained by the plight of Dalits.
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“Discrimination still exists – no doubt about it. But the kind of stories we hear in Tamil Nadu, a state that claims to champion social justice, are heartbreaking. A Dalit beaten up for wearing slippers and walking on a village street. A young Dalit thrashed for riding a motorbike. A student praised by a teacher is attacked in his home. Human excreta found in water tanks. These are not isolated incidents,” he said.
“During tragedies like the illicit liquor deaths in Kallakurichi, where 66 people died and hundreds suffered, the majority of victims were Dalits. Crimes against Dalits are rising. After 2020, a 50% increase. Crimes against Dalit women are increasing. The conviction rate for such crimes in Tamil Nadu is less than half the national average. These are facts – not political statements,” he said, targeting the DMK government.
The remarks drew a sharp counter from Higher Education Minister and DMK leader Govi Chezhiaan. Calling the Governor’s allegations lies, the minister said six BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh and Mr Ravi’s home state Bihar, account for 81 per cent of atrocities against Dalits. “Sanatan Dharma and Manu’s principles are responsible for this. RN Ravi is an ambassador for Sanatan Dharma and has no locus standi to speak on this,” he said. “Where was RN Ravi when (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah spoke ill of Ambedkar?” the minister said.
He referred to the row over the Home Minister’s remarks in Rajya Sabha in December. Addressing the House during the debate to mark 75 years of the Constitution, Mr Shah said taking BR Ambedkar’s name had become a “fashion” now. “If they took God’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven,” he said.
While the Congress accused Mr Shah of insulting the architect of the Constitution, the BJP said Mr Shah was referring to “how Congress kept misusing Ambedkar’s name but never followed his ideals”. The Tamil Nadu minister also said the Governor has not been able to digest the setback in the top court.
In a big win for the MK Stalin government, the Supreme Court last week ruled that Governor Ravi’s decision to withhold assent to 10 key Bills was “illegal” and “arbitrary”. “The action of the Governor to reserve the 10 bills for the President is illegal and arbitrary. Thus, the action is set aside. All actions taken by the Governor thereto for the 10 bills are set aside. These Bills shall be deemed to be cleared from the date it was re-presented to the Governor,” the bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan said. The court said Governor Ravi did not act in “good faith”.
A former IPS officer who has also worked in the CBI, RN Ravi took over as Tamil Nadu Governor in 2021. Ever since, he has had frosty ties with the MK Stalin-led state government. The DMK government has accused him of acting like a BJP spokesperson and blocking Bills and appointments. The Governor has said the Constitution empowers him to withhold his assent to legislation.
Neetu