TN Guv should know his position, not talk politics:TN Minister

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi should realise his gubernatorial position and refrain from doing politics, state Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi said on Thursday.

He urged Ravi to take up any issue concerning higher education directly with him, as he is the Pro-Chancellor or the department head rather than rushing to the media.

Chief Minister M K Stalin's efforts were oriented towards ensuring a qualitative improvement in the education sector and he had even launched several initiatives like the 'Naan Mudhalvan' programme, but the Governor appeared to belittle the state's efforts, Ponmudi claimed.

"Many say the Governor is talking politics. Even the BJP state president K Annamalai had said so. I hope the Governor would understand his position and act accordingly," the Minister told reporters here recalling Annamalai's comment on Wednesday in Villupuram.

While speaking to reporters, the BJP chief opined that a Governor should not talk politics as it would set a wrong precedence. A Governor should discharge his duty as mandated by the Constitution, he had said.

Referring to a meeting of state university chancellor nominees, syndicate and senate members at the Raj Bhavan here on July 4, the Minister claimed that it was an irony that Ravi who chose to hold such a meeting in his office has accused the state government of holding similar meetings at the Secretariat.

"The meetings of the syndicate, senate and governing members of universities were held at the state Secretariat, the power centre, only during the pandemic and in online mode during the COVID-19 imposed lockdown.

On normal occasions, such meetings were conducted on university premises," Ponmudi said. He accused the Governor of distributing degrees to graduants at the Raj Bhavan instead of visiting the university in Nagapattinam to award the degrees.

It was unfair on the part of the Governor to say that the state government has not appointed the Search Committee to recommend a panel of Vice Chancellors for universities, he said.

"The process of identifying a panel of Vice Chancellors is getting delayed as the Governor has been insisting upon including a representative from the University Grants Commission in addition to the three members nominated to the Search Committee," the Minister claimed.

He urged the Governor to communicate with him as he is the Pro-Chancellor of state universities or the higher education department secretary on any issue and resolve it instead of issuing a statement in the media.