‘Will stick to guv’s Constitutional limits’

‘Will stick to guv’s Constitutional limits’

Humbled To Be In Land Of Most Ancient Civilisation, Says Ravi After Taking Oath

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:20.09.2021

Soon after being sworn in as the 26th governor of Tamil Nadu, Ravindra Narayan Ravi on Saturday said he would function within the parameters of the Constitution. The former IB officer and Nagaland governor succeeded Banwarilal Purohit who was appointed as the governor of Punjab and the administrator of the Union territory of Chandigarh.

“This place has a popular government mandated by the people. Governance is the responsibility of the government. Governor is to function within the parameters of the Constitution. I will try my best to keep that in mind,” he said, replying to a query from reporters as to whether he too would break away from convention like his predecessor and tour the state to hold review meetings with the district administrators.

On the performance of the DMK government, the governor said it was too premature to say anything. “I believe it should be doing well. The way it has handled Covid… It (case) has come down.” He said a pandemic such as Covid was above party, politics, above differences, if at all, between a state and the Union. Reminded of the opposition from certain political parties to his appointment given his IB background, Ravi said, “The slate of our relationship is absolutely new and clean. My effort will be to make it as beautiful as possible in the days to come.”

The swearing-in event that lasted 10 minutes saw chief secretary V Irai Anbu reading out ‘Warrant of Appointment’ signed by President Ram Nath Kovind on September 9. Chief justice of the Madras HC Sandeep Banerjee administered the oath of office to Ravi on the lawns of Raj Bhavan. “I, Ravindra Narayana Ravi, do swear in the name of God…,” Ravi said, evoking loud claps from the gathering. CM M K Stalin, Union minister L Murugan, ministers, judges, MPs, MLAs, bureaucrats and others were present. Former governors M M Rajendran (Odisha) E S L Narasimhan (Telangana), P Sathasivam (Kerala), M K Narayanan (West Bengal) and RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy were among the special invitees. PMK president G K Mani was present.

FRESH START: This is a new slate, governor Ravi said about reservations about his IB background