Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Monday (February 3, 2025) disagreed with a submission made by a petitioner-advocate that Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi has “insulted the entire people of Tamil Nadu”, saying “nobody does that… nobody can do that”.

Heading a Bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar, the Chief Justice dismissed a petition filed by advocate C.R. Jaya Sukin alleging that Governor Ravi has been “criticising” Tamil culture and “humiliating” the people of the State for following the Dravidian concepts.

Mr. Sukin referred to the Governor’s walkout, the third in as many years, on January 6, 2025 over the singing of ‘Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu’ (invocation to Mother Tamil) and not the National Anthem before his customary address before the Legislative Assembly.

The petition urged the court to direct the President’s office, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Home Ministry, all arraigned as respondents in the petition, to immediately recall Governor Ravi. The Bench dismissed the case as “misconceived.”

“We function within the Constitution. We are already examining matters which require our attention… we cannot entertain a petition like this, not like this,” Chief Justice Khanna observed orally.

In January this year, the apex court had asked Attorney General of India R. Venkataramani, appearing for Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, to urge for a resolution of a continuing stalemate with the State Government over the appointment of Vice-Chancellors in major State universities.

The court is hearing multiple petitions filed by the Tamil Nadu Government, represented by senior advocates A.M. Singhvi, Mukul Rohatgi, P. Wilson and advocate Sabarish Subramanian, about the conduct of the Governor regarding the grant assent to key Bills on higher education issues, pending sanction of prosecutions, remission of prisoners, government orders and the constitution of search committees for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs). Mr. Wilson had compared the Governor’s conduct to that of a “political opponent.”