The Supreme Court on 3 February 2025 dismissed a petition seeking the immediate removal of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, calling the plea “ill-conceived” and lacking merit.
A two-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna rejected the petition filed by Tamil Nadu-based lawyer C.R. Jaya Sukin, who had sought a directive for the Governor’s recall. “We cannot grant such prayers. Plea dismissed,“ the CJI remarked in the order.
The petition accused Governor RN Ravi of overstepping his constitutional role by making political statements and obstructing legislation. Sukin cited Ravi’s walkout from the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on 6 January 2025 —his third such exit—as an example of his disregard for constitutional norms. The Governor had objected to the playing of the Tamil Nadu state anthem, Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu, instead of the national anthem before his official address.
The plea further alleged that the Governor has been delaying or withholding assent to bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and has openly criticized the state’s Dravidian model of governance, which he termed an “expired ideology.” It contended that such actions violate the Supreme Court’s ruling that Governors must remain politically neutral and act strictly within their constitutional mandate.
The petition emphasized that the Governor is a constitutional functionary who must operate within the boundaries set by the Constitution. It argued that Ravi’s public criticism of Dravidian governance contradicts his constitutional role, as the Supreme Court has previously ruled that Governors cannot engage in political matters beyond their defined functions.
Despite these arguments, the Supreme Court found no legal basis for ordering the Governor’s removal and dismissed the plea outright.
(With inputs from The New Indian Express)
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