Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. File
| Photo Credit: A. Shaikmohideen

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday (May 15, 2025) strongly condemned the Union government’s Presidential reference under Article 143 seeking clarity on the Constitutional options before a Governor when a Bill is presented to him under Article 200. Mr. Stalin contended the Centre was “attempting to subvert the Constitutional position already settled by the Supreme Court in the Tamil Nadu Governor’s case and other precedents.”

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Describing it as “grave circumstances,” Mr. Stalin urged all non-BJP States and party leaders to “join this legal struggle” to defend the Constitution.

Mr. Stalin’s contention in a social media post followed President Droupadi Murmu sending a Presidential Reference to the Supreme Court for its opinion on whether the court can employ its inherent powers under Article 142 to “impose” timelines and prescribe the manner of conduct of Governors and the President while dealing with State Bills sent to them for assent or reserved for consideration.

‘Exposes Governor acted at BJP’s behest’

“This attempt clearly exposes the fact that the Tamil Nadu Governor acted at the BJP’s behest to undermine the people’s mandate. This is nothing but a desperate attempt to weaken democratically elected State Governments by placing them under the control of Governors serving as agents of the Union Government,” Mr. Stalin charged.

It also “directly challenged the majesty of law and the authority of the Supreme Court as the final interpreter of the Constitution,” Mr. Stalin said and further asked: “Why should there be any objection to prescribing time limits for Governors to act? Is the BJP seeking to legitimise its Governors’ obstruction by allowing indefinite delays in Bill assent?”

Mr. Stalin went on to question: “Does the Union Government intend to paralyse non-BJP State Legislatures? Our nation stands at a critical juncture. The questions raised in the reference reveal the BJP-led Union Government’s sinister intent to distort the Constitution’s basic distribution of powers and incapacitate the State Legislatures dominated by opposition parties. Thus, it poses a clear exigent threat to State autonomy.”