The Communist Party of India (CPI) criticized Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for allegedly trying to act as a “parallel government” by encouraging the public to bring their grievances to Raj Bhavan. CPI’s state Secretary M. Veerapandian expressed concern over the Governor’s statements made at a recent event, which seemed to challenge the elected State government’s authority. Veerapandian highlighted that the Governor’s remarks could be seen as an attempt to assume roles reserved for the democratically elected government, thus interfering in the state’s administration.
The CPI leader emphasized that the Governor’s actions risk undermining the federal structure and the established constitutional framework that defines the relationship between the Union and the States. Veerapandian urged the Tamil Nadu government and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to take legal and political steps to prevent what he viewed as an overreach of constitutional powers by the Governor. Referring to a previous Supreme Court ruling on the powers and limitations of a Governor, Veerapandian argued that the Governor’s recent comments contradicted judicial principles and amounted to unwarranted interference in the functioning of the elected government.
Veerapandian called for intervention from President Droupadi Murmu to address the situation, alleging that the Governor had exceeded the authority granted by the Constitution and disregarded the constitutional boundaries set by the Supreme Court. The ongoing political tensions between Raj Bhavan and parties in Tamil Nadu regarding the Governor’s role and constitutional duties have escalated with this latest development.
