Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 22 (HBTV): Following the intervention of the Supreme Court, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi agreed to swear-in K Ponmudy as a minister. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 3.30 pm at the Raj Bhavan on Friday.
This comes after the apex court on Thursday questioned Ravi’s conduct and decision to refuse to appoint K Ponmudy as a minister in the state cabinet. The court said he had defied the order of the top court.
The chief justice of India, DY Chandrachud, had noted that Ponmudy's conviction has been stayed by the top court and despite that the Tamil Nadu governor did not allow him to be sworn in. The top court remarked, "Attorney General, what is your governor doing? Please tell the governor that it is going to make some observations now."
After the top court had stayed Ponmudy's conviction, the Supreme Court questioned the governor reportedly saying Ponmudy's re-induction as a minister would be against constitutional morality.
CJI Chandrachud said, "We are seriously concerned about the conduct of the governor in this case. We did not want to say it out loud in court but you are now constraining us to say that aloud."
The top court remarked that the governor was defying the Supreme Court of India. The bench also remarked that when the Supreme Court stays a conviction, the governor has no business to tell it that this does not wipe off the conviction.
The court also observed that those who have advised the governor have not advised him correctly.
Now the governor better be informed that when the Supreme Court of India stays a conviction the law has to follow its course, the court said.
Disqualified Tamil Nadu minister and DMK senior leader K Ponmudy was reinstated days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction and three-year jail sentence in a disproportionate asset case on March 13, 2024.
Ponmudy was also the minister for higher education and mines during the DMK regime from 2006 to 2011.
(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.